Passionate about art and science since childhood, Heaton uses analog electronic hardware to produce printed bird circuits.
Akin to a vintage synthesizer, these dynamic sculptures show the life-like quality of technology.
Heaton is even able to alter the birdsong by adjusting knobs to change the resistance of a circuit.
Kelly Heaton, detail of a Printed Circuit Bird from “Circuit Garden” (2022) curated by Common Ground Arts and commissioned by Arts Brookfield for Manhattan West and Brooklyn Commons. (Photo: Arts Brookfield and Jason Wyche)
This action is akin to a real bird firing neurons in its brain in reaction to different situations.
As the birds sing, circuits across their body light up, giving a visual to this auditory delight.
Suddenly, the hardware is no longer opaque.
Kelly Heaton, detail of a Printed Circuit Bird from “Circuit Garden” (2022) curated by Common Ground Arts and commissioned by Arts Brookfield for Manhattan West and Brooklyn Commons. (Photo: Arts Brookfield and Jason Wyche)
These sculptures help build a bridge that connects something familiar with raw electronic devices.
Multimedia artist Kelly Heaton makes bird sculptures from electronic circuits.
In doing so, she’s able to make these birds sing.
Kelly Heaton, detail of a Printed Circuit Bird from “Circuit Garden” (2022) curated by Common Ground Arts and commissioned by Arts Brookfield for Manhattan West and Brooklyn Commons. (Photo: Arts Brookfield and Jason Wyche)
Her use of life-like circuits builds a bridge between the natural world and technology.
Kelly Heaton, detail of a Printed Circuit Bird from “Circuit Garden” (2022) curated by Common Ground Arts and commissioned by Arts Brookfield for Manhattan West and Brooklyn Commons. (Photo: Arts Brookfield and Jason Wyche)
