This work forms part of Anne Ferran’s series Box of birds, which was a reflection on an earlier series by the artist, 1–38 (2003). 1–38 was the result of a research project, during which Ferran sought to uncover the intentions and details of a series of photographs of women patients of Sydney’s Gladesville Mental Hospital from the late 1940s. Ferran was unable to determine the details of the subjects as much of the information had been concealed in order to protect the women’s identities. So 1–38 became a series of cropped images that had been copied from the originals, appropriately ambiguous and enigmatic.

Ferran created Box of birds ten years later, moving away from the direct source material to create a more imaginative and performative response to her research. This series comprises photographs of dancers enacting improvised movements with large pieces of dyed and painted felt. The felt distorts the shape of the dancers’ bodies and conceals their identities while the titles of the works relate to fictitious bird species. The phrase ‘box of birds’ references a New Zealand expression used to imply good health. It also alludes to ideas of being caged or imprisoned.

(2021)