Duck Pond

I frequently explored a pond near my old home and developed a particular interest in the ducks and geese that had taken residence there. After spending some time in this place and observing the birds interact with one another, I noticed that each group had apparently established its own territory on either side of the pond. The larger geese were dominant and had taken control of the prime location, so the ducks would try to keep their distance to avoid conflict.

I noticed that the birds hadn't migrated during any season and wondered why, so I conducted quite a bit of research related to “pond” ducks and geese. I discovered that the birds at this pond were most likely bred to be large for domestication and were unable to fly more than a few feet. In a sense, they were trapped there. I also learned that before they became “pond ducks,” many baby chicks were gifted to children for Easter, only to be abandoned at ponds when they became too large or difficult to care for.

I don’t know the exact origins of these particular ducks and geese, but I wanted to illustrate the dynamic between them in relation to the idea of captivity. I chose to enlarge close­up photographs of different bird body parts to detract from the ostensibly beautiful scenery in the images. I then cut these photographs into thin strips and wove them together to represent the lives of the two groups of birds intermingling in a small space. The woven strips of strange textures creates slightly unsettling imagery while nodding towards an Easter basket, a sort of container not unlike the pond these birds are confined to for the remainder of their lives.