Whisper in the Wind (2024) is a sculpture made from discarded metal scraps which, incidentally, through this medium, revive and transform the material, thus making it a sustainable work. A much more organic form has been created using a usually industrial and artificial material that would have gone to waste or a landfill. Thus, it has converted this inorganic form into an organic form which will no longer harm the environment (through a landfill) and thus creates a question surrounding consumption and material use- in that we are challenged to understand that waste is damaging to nature and repurposing this waste is one way to prevent this.
The sculpture’s subject is a mechanised sparrow perched onto what seems to resemble a branch. Despite the sparrow and the sculpture being static- the springs and what could be materials that would once be mechanical give it movement. We can see gears, coils (/springs), pipes and metal wires. These tend to be objects that help a machine move or move (as in the case of the pipe) fluid materials. Thus, it adds texture and variety to the sculpture, allowing the viewer to inspect and explore it to admire its ingenuity.
Looking further into the sculpture’s texture, we can see that it seems as though it has weathered, thus creating a slight darkness in the metal. This weathering could symbolise the decline of the sparrow itself, as it was once one of the most common birds in the UK. However, they have declined significantly. They used to nest in housing gaps. However, these have disappeared and thus are one of the reasons why sparrows are seen less in urban areas. However, the sparrow continues to live on despite these hardships and is showcased in this artwork by how it perches on the branch.