(1982)

One spring day, Kaplan discovered a dead starling lying on the ground in her back yard. Over the summer months, Kaplan covered the bird, first with dandelions, then rose petals, eggshells, plums, whatever the summer harvest had to offer. A series of colour photographs documented this ritual.

“A starling lies dead in my back yard. I begin the burial ritual by covering the little bird with blown dandelions; then I find unripe plums, rose petals, cotton tree seeds, and whatever falls to the ground. By summer’s end, the original grave site has grown into a colourful mandala, three feet in diameter.” — Nomi Kaplan