Clusters of Care, 2024, watercolour, 22 by 30 inches each.
In most urban settings, pigeons are commonplace, with Vancouver being no exception. Often referred to as ‘rats with wings,’ pigeons are generally seen as a nuisance. Despite being a species domesticated for centuries, they now litter the streets of cities worldwide. They are treated with disdain and live alongside our trash, symbolic of their perceived status in society.
Pigeons are also known for their almost laughable nests. Sometimes, they exist merely as small piles of sticks in seemingly random areas; however, there is more to this than meets the eye. Historically, pigeons nested in hollows and holes in cliffs or mountains. Because of this, they did not require complex nests, only a simple platform of a few sticks to secure their eggs. The urban pigeon has evolved from this. Now, they find homes in various unique locations, such as building ledges, stairwells, rain gutters, apartment balconies, or even corners of buildings. Despite all this, pigeons are an extremely adaptable species that have fought hard to survive amidst humanity’s rapid urbanization. In this series, I aim to capture a range of different pigeon nests, from sparse to compact, and even those made entirely from trash.
To create these nests, I began photographing both trash and sticks I encountered during my commute through Downtown and North Vancouver. While searching in Vancouver for trash to incorporate into these nests, I realized just how much litter there truly is. It can be easy to overlook all the debris constantly surrounding us, especially in urban settings; however, due to their size, pigeons cannot ignore this litter as easily. Instead, they live among it. Despite how haphazard pigeon nests may appear, I wanted to portray them with care, reflecting the attention each pigeon puts into their nests in their own unique way.