“A stainless steel sculpture of the Superb Bird of Paradise in full courtship display. Features heat-tinted iridescence and layered steel plumage.”
The Superb Bird of Paradise is famous for its elaborate courtship ritual, where the male fans his cape and breast shield into an absorbing, dark shape punctuated by neon-bright markings. This sculpture freezes that fleeting moment of performance, capturing the bird in the height of its display.
Crafted from stainless steel, the piece uses a combination of layering and heat-tinting to achieve its dramatic effect. The "fan" of the cape is constructed from overlapping steel plates, meticulously shaped to mimic the density of the bird's velvety plumage. To replicate the iridescent blue-green breast shield that defines the species, I applied localised heat to specific sections of the steel. This drew out vibrant flashes of blue, purple, and gold that contrast sharply against the darker, charred finish of the surrounding feathers. The result is a sculpture that, much like the bird itself, reveals its true brilliance only when the light hits it just right.
