Absence, Presence, is about the power of a void — to be loud, to communicate strongly, to make meaning.Since 1970, North America has lost nearly 3 billion birds. This project, Absence Presence, brings attention to this devastating statistic and recent measures to erode the 1918 Migratory Bird Treaty Act, a primary piece of U.S. environmental legislation and cornerstone of species conservation. Using decommissioned migratory bird eggshells from natural history collections, this project presents cyanotypes of avian semiplume feathers printed on the interior surfaces of the shells. Capturing lost birdlife, they embody and reflect fragility — of species, policy, ecosystems, and the legal boundaries we draw around life. What do we protect, why and for how long? Absence Presence offers a space for mourning and critical questioning: of our environmental legacy, our legal priorities, and the voices we have silenced, from meadowlarks and hawks to sparrows and beyond.   

Eggshells and feathers provided by Cornell Lab of Ornithology and Hobart William Smith Colleges. Special thanks to Vanya Rohwer and Mark Deutchlander. Protected by the MBTA, these altered shells can never be sold or traded. Only images of the shells are attainable as art.

Images from this project were exhibited in a juried show, 2026 Made in New York, at the Schweinfurth Museum in Auburn, NY (selected for Juror’s Prize) and at the Dove Art Center 2025 Member’s Show at the Dove Block Art Center in Geneva, NY.  The project has also been published, one image used as a cover for the literary magazine, the Seneca Review, and two others published as part of forthcoming interdisciplinary anthology of essays and art exploring the darkened sky, The Skies that Bind (2028).