WP3: Draft

Dear Arietta II,

“An incredible display of aeronautical skill, more bazaar and seemingly pointless than anything ever produced” is how Dylan Winter describes the flight of starlings preparing to roost. You represent this astonishing act in sculpture form. Your mother of creation has crafted you to reflect the flight of the starlings with her choice of name for you, leaving you outdoors, and welding you together out of steel. These gifts you have received from her provide you with potential to enlighten your audience with the fascinating story of the distinctive behavior of starlings.

Your name, Arietta II, is quite unique but significant. You have been named after a musical term, which actually means a short aria. Arias are musical pieces known to have expressive melodies, full of movement. They are performed with a solo vocalist accompanied by an orchestra. By having the name Arietta II you were destined to promote ideas of togetherness, similar to the orchestral accompaniment, and movement, like the expressive melodies.

Your shape is reminiscent of the starling formations and unbelievable flight. Each evening, around dusk, multitudes of small starling groups come together. Hundreds of thousands, up to one million, starlings form what appears to be a swirling black cloud. They move gracefully as a unit, as if waves in the sky. Because you have been placed outdoors, you sway in the wind. If your mother had raised you indoors, this movement would not have occurred, and you would not live up to your potential as well.

A third way you are comparable to the movement of the starlings, is the changing lighting you are provided with. This again is a result of being placed outdoors. Your lighting comes from the sun and as the sun moves, the shadows made by you and falling on to you change. The varying light makes you appear differently, as if you are changing or moving. At night there is little lighting on you, and it does not move. Therefore you do not to look as if you are moving at this time, similar to starlings that roost at night, and are not moving either. During the day the sun slowly moves the shadows on and around you, causing you to look like you are moving very slowly or slightly. Again this is similar to the starlings; they move throughout the day, but it is in smaller groups and does not occur in the same area. However, in the morning and at dusk, as the sun is rising or setting, the shadows move quickly, showing the greatest illusion of movement by you. This is also the time where the many starlings are moving all together, displaying their “aeronautical skill”.

Your mother has chosen to make you out of steel, which is a metal, so it is heavy and sturdy. This is contrasting with the characteristics of birds. Birds are made of feathers and hallow bones, making them very light weight and fragile. The contrasting characteristics of the steel and birds make the birds’ lightness and fragility more apparent by calling attention to the opposites. However, due to cooperating and working together the masses of birds all become strong and durable, giving them characteristics similar to steel. So, as they fly together as a unit it allows them to have features completely opposite of the natural features they possess as individuals.

As they fly together, they stay warm and safe. The movement keeps each individual body warm, which makes them all warmer for the cool nights. As they fly in multitudes, they scan their chosen roosting area for predators. Because of their teamwork, a predator could not possibly escape their sight. This allows for them to settle in at night, being safe. The togetherness of the birds that are a part of you parallels the cooperation of starlings. You may have noticed that your welding spots are not hidden like other sculptures, but are made very visible. They have been placed on the outside of you, showing they were not even attempted to be hidden on the inside. I doubt your mother did this because she was lazy or to embarrass you. It shows how your birds are connected and held together. Just as your welding makes all the birds one strong sculpture, it represents how their collaboration makes them one very strong unit.

Although being outdoors enhances the idea of movement, it means you have to suffer from the elements that come with being outdoors. You are weathered and dirty, from the dirt in the wind. You are rusted from standing in the rain. Sadly, you have even been written on in the dirt that covers your black coat. However, you have been placed in the habitat of the animals you represent. They must face the outdoor elements as well. They struggle to survive the cold of the winter, the rain or the sleet, any storm almost blowing them away, and the never ending search for food. The only way they can survive all of these things is the unity of their nightly performance, which is analogous to how the welding of your steel keeps you strong in the elements.

The majority of the starling populations are in Europe, Asia, Africa, and Australia, but some have been moved to North America and New Zealand. However, the pre-roosting spectacular is most well known in the former locations. You have been put here in Nebraska and could enlighten your viewers of the stunning behavior that has baffled scientists. However, upon seeing you, unless a viewer is aware of the starlings’ routine, they may not know of what you signify. Your mother has given you the capabilities to share this knowledge with your viewers, and now that you are aware you may chose to make it your motivation. Your name provides for the theme of movement and togetherness, which you do reflect. Now you must embody the starling flight you represent and enlighten those around you. This is my challenge to you.

For the next few minutes I would be delighted to accompany you in this challenge because you have inspired me. Unfortunately, I cannot mimic the spiraling shape of multiple birds like you do. Therefore, I will shape my body to represent one single bird, but because the concept of teamwork is such an important factor for starlings and a theme you represent, I am going to hold onto you as if we were welded together. Margaret Carey made a good point saying “the nice thing about teamwork is that you always have others on your side”.

Sincerely,

Kelli Krueger