In the heart of midtown Manhattan, is a monumental art installation titled Bird Cage, designed for the penthouse floors in the iconic Lord & Taylor building and commissioned by Amazon for their newly opened office in New York City. This magnificent creation is the work of gifted artist Brit Kleinman and her team at AVO.
The title Bird Cage comes from the renowned restaurant bearing the same name that graced the premises of the Lord & Taylor department store during the 1930s. Throughout its history, this location has consistently served as a hub for New Yorkers to come together. Kleinman’s vision for the present space remains aligned to this legacy and now provides a new environment where individuals can pause, enjoy conversation, and share creative ideas.
Brit Kleinman, Bird Cage; 2023; hand-woven ropes, solution-dyed acrylic (21 different colors), hand-dyed leather (six different colors), serrated edge steel fins; woven, knotted; 228 x 216 in. Photo credit: Bilyana Dimitrova
As the artist explored the area for the commissioned art piece, she glanced out the large windows and saw the New York City skyline, with water towers scattered across the landscape. This inspired the shape of the Bird Cage. Sunlight was an important element. She wanted the installation to be a translucent piece. When you are sitting inside the Bird Cage, the light cascades through it.
The structure is complex and took more than 880 hours to create. It is 19 feet high and stretches across a vast 18-foot expanse that spans two floors. This installation showcases meticulously hand-knotted ropes, with an array of 21 distinct shades of blue, complemented by hand-dyed leather in six unique colors. These elements interweave with the serrated edge of steel fins, seamlessly mingling with their environment.
Brit Kleinman, Bird Cage detail; 2023; hand-woven ropes, solution-dyed acrylic (21 different colors), hand-dyed leather (six different colors), serrated edge steel fins; woven, knotted; 228 x 216 in. Photo credit: Elliot Goldstein
Each rope for Bird Cage was constructed over several months, every knot intricately tied one at a time. From a distance, the rhythmic patterns over the steel structure are visible. The ropes are an interplay of shades of blue that undergo a color transition across the levels of a circular staircase to signify “the passage of time and the evolution of ideas.”
According to Kleinman, this remarkable installation is “wrapped in a nest-like aura, its design symbolizing the technology and systems binding us together. We tend to think of technology that links us today as ‘up in the clouds,’ but in fact these technologies have a very physical presence in our world. Their cables span across ocean floors and occupy spaces as vast as city blocks. They line the underbellies of every building and form intricate patterns in the skies above our landscapes. This piece brings these connections to the forefront and celebrates the physical places where intertwined memories are forged.”
Amazon placed great importance on collaborating with a local textile artist for this project, given the building’s historical identity as a textile mill. Kleinman said working on art of this scale and size has always been a dream. Prepare to be mesmerized watching the video of the birth and construction of this iconic work of fiber art.
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Cami Smith is the Fiber Art Now media manager, a contributing editor, and a mixed-media artist.
Top Image : Brit Kleinman, Bird Cage; 2023; hand-woven ropes, solution-dyed acrylic (21 different colors), hand-dyed leather (six different colors), serrated edge steel fins; woven, knotted; 228 x 216 in. Photo credit: Bilyana Dimitrova
Brit Kleinman, Bird Cage process; 2023; hand-woven ropes, solution-dyed acrylic (21 different colors), hand-dyed leather (six different colors), serrated edge steel fins; woven, knotted; 228 x 216 in. Photo credit: AVO
Brit Kleinman, Bird Cage process; 2023; hand-woven ropes, solution-dyed acrylic (21 different colors), hand-dyed leather (six different colors), serrated edge steel fins; woven, knotted; 228 x 216 in. Photo credit: Majid Aliyev
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