Birds Who Love Noire is a piece of work created by small birds and insects, that starts off as a large plain bill-board which gradually reveals itself as a well known cinematic icon.

Here's how it's achieved:
The initial image is printed to act as a key.
In this case it's the famous image of Tippi Hedren as featured in the link. A large number of pegs are inserted into the image. These are to act as temporary perches for the feeding birds

The entire image is then carefully flooded with a gooey nutrient which is attractive to both birds and insects. This is allowed to completely harden.

When complete, the entire underlying image is totally covered in a uniform shade of white.

The billboard is then vertically erected at a suitable location.

Birds and insects will detect through their ability to sense subtle odours that there is a free lunch on the board for the taking. One bird's behaviour will attract others. In time the nutrient will be gradually munched completely away to reveal the underlying image.

(edited version)
-- xenzag, Nov 22 2012

(??) Tippi Hedren http://media.thewee...-of-trained.jpg?155
as revealed by birds and insects [xenzag, Nov 22 2012, last modified Nov 23 2012]

It needs to be iconic. Have considered many possibilities including a photo of Tippi Hedren.
-- xenzag, Nov 22 2012


OK so, to summarize, a Warhol print concealed by bird-attracting white food that gets pecked off to reveal the image?
-- MaxwellBuchanan, Nov 22 2012


hmmm, if you had a contiuous food source then the bird and insect colors themselves could 'be' the image.
-- 2 fries shy of a happy meal, Nov 22 2012


note - edited on reflection to reveal the enigmatic image of Tippi Hedren
-- xenzag, Nov 23 2012


I'm sure there is still the possibility of a dual image, (which was my original intention in creating the idea) - where sections of the outside surface are printed in inedible/inert material, so that when the remaining parts are picked away, the second image modifies or contextualises the first permanent one, which also in time would decay to reveal a third image.
-- xenzag, Nov 23 2012


The image should reveal a giant hawk or other predator. Gradually the birds would get scared and leave the painting unfinished. You could see how much of a hawk would be enough to scare birds.
-- phundug, Nov 23 2012


Instead of a painting, make it a mosaic constructed from HDPE or something of that ilk. All the beak scratches in the world wouldn't make a difference from a distance.
-- Alterother, Nov 23 2012


//Birds Who Love Noire// and the Cats Who Hate Them.
-- FlyingToaster, Nov 25 2012



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