Eastern Birds

Eastern Birds


Three new painted ceiling panels for an apartment at the Carlyle Hotel - New York.
A stylized coffered ceiling, with indigenous Eastern U.S birds. A collaboration with William Cullum / Thomas Jayne at JDS - NYC.



"Eastern Birds" was executed at the Amsterdam studio.
Installed in New York City in 2023.




Pintail duck<p>.
Pintail duck

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Eastern birds<p><h6>Lay-out for a Carlyle ceiling</h6><p>.
Eastern birds

Lay-out for a Carlyle ceiling

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Waxwings<p>
Waxwings


"Cycling or walking through the centre of Amsterdam on late winter nights, I sometimes hear the sound of wild geese crossing over, in the darkness high above the city.
Like sounds from a parallel universe. .
It's a deeply cherished phenomenon for me."

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One \"carre\"<p>.
One "carre"

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The Carlyle seen from Central Park<p>.
The Carlyle seen from Central Park

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All these birds here in the center of Manhattan would consider the Hudson River woodlands as their natural habtat.


Yellow Billed Cuckoo<p>.
Yellow Billed Cuckoo

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Pintail duck<p>.
Pintail duck

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Ten years ago I designed and executed a ceiling like this on a much larger scale for a Cees Dam designed boardroom. done in the architect’s modernist Scarpa influenced style .
Graphically stylized and almost abstract, yet executed in subtle limestone hues, giving it all a “life” touch, and warm light.
The inner squares are like islands of detail and colour; sky, birds and ornaments, set like gems in a vast grid structure .

It was the great insight of William Cullum at JDS-NYC that this design with some adjustments, might also function on a smaller scale at this Carlyle Hotel apartment..
And it does .. brilliantly so ..

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American Kestrel<p>.
American Kestrel

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Eastern Bluebird<p>.
Eastern Bluebird

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The coffers differ stongly in size  <p>some are open, some are closed <p>.
The coffers differ stongly in size

some are open, some are closed

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Ceiling Overview inmpression<p>.
Ceiling Overview inmpression

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Eastern Phoebe<p>.
Eastern Phoebe

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Dear William
I think using indigenous U.S birds might be a good idea, as there is such a simple and elegant sense of logic to it.
Amsterdam 17th c. bird ceilings – a genre of which I’m currently installing a new interpretation in a 1670's canalhouse monument - would often show a mix of tropical and local birds, thereby reflecting a sense of wealth, international orientation and the far reaching influence of Dutch military and colonial power. . . Later that would shift to an early scientific Natural History approach .
Today, when almost everybody is a cosmopolitan in some sort of way, I think using a specific selection of native birds has (re)gained a different meaning. From the perspective of preservation. . but also as a sense of “belonging” and "locality". .

"Cycling or walking through the centre of Amsterdam on late winter nights, I sometimes hear the sound of wild geese crossing over in the darkness high above the city. Like sounds from a parallel universe. .
It's a deeply cherished phenomenon for me. ...."

Best from Amsterdam
P

Waxwings<p>.
Waxwings

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Common Grackles<p>.
Common Grackles

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The coffers differ in size and colour  <p>some are open, some are closed <p>.
The coffers differ in size and colour

some are open, some are closed

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<p>.

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Eurasian Starlings<p><h6> First Iphone pictures of the installed ceiling.</h6><p>.
Eurasian Starlings

First Iphone pictures of the installed ceiling.

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Blue Heron<p><h6> First Iphone pictures of the installed ceiling </h6><p><h6> Walls by Pierre Finkelstein </h6><p>.
Blue Heron

First Iphone pictures of the installed ceiling

Walls by Pierre Finkelstein

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The entrance on 76 st <p>.
The entrance on 76 st

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Madison Ave and 76 st <p>
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Madison Ave and 76 st

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The iconic Art Deco silhouette
<p>of the Carlyle tower at nightfall.<p>.
The iconic Art Deco silhouette

of the Carlyle tower at nightfall.

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