In chaos theory the flower of the sky - the butterfly - takes on a different meaning. In this theory it is the instigator of a chain of unfortunate events; a hurricane wrapped in a chrysalis. The flap of it’s wings represents a complex interconnected web in which a small variation in the system cascades to create a large-scale alteration of events. Had the butterfly not flapped its wings, could things have been different? In 2020 an event occurred that changed all of our trajectories, and the subsequent lockdown left us isolated from those we dearly love. For many of us the pandemic was a reminder of the illusion of control that we have over our lives when, in reality, fate - the prophetic butterfly effect- dictates our lives.

When Caged Birds Fly considers how the physical mechanism of touch is now being reintroduced to our lives in 2021, and the anxiety some of us may feel with regard to no longer loving people at a distance. This body of work represents the young and the old, to speak to how we can finally reconnect the generations post-lockdown. Although for all intents and purposes life may be returning to normal, for some of us fear has fashioned itself into a cage from which we must break free. Birds appear in this work as a repeated symbol of freedom and as a stimulus for thinking about the relationship between freedom and human society. Humankind is now on the edge of something new, and we must embrace the bird’s spirit of independence. With regard to leaving the national lockdown, there is a feeling that humankind may be tempting fate, however temptation and fate are two sides of the same coin. If you walk to the edge of a precipice you know the consequences of a misstep. Yet you walked to the edge anyway. Fate is a consequence. Temptation is the driver of that consequence. What do we do with this newfound free will that stands in that decision?