A Gathering 2001

Walter Martin and Paloma Munoz’s “A Gathering” at the Canal Street subway station might take you by surprise - there aren’t many birds living underground, let alone 181 of them. This sculpture, commissioned by the MTA Arts for Transit program, features three species of birds: grackles, blackbirds, and crows. They are arranged in groups of two to four, based on the birds’ natural social behavior. Martin and Munoz first did some research by watching videos of birds and examining stuffed birds at the American Museum of Natural History. They then sculpted the birds in clay, then in plaster molds filled with wax, and were then put into bronze with glass eyes. Martin and Munoz work together on projects that explore the space between fantasy and reality.