Hawks, eagles and crows
– oh my – and all lurking on the campus of GW! Do not be spooked - these are not
the unnerving birds from the set of Alfred Hitchcock’s The Birds, but the carved stone bird creations of artist Ben Cabot.
These eerie birds may look lifelike, but we promise you that they do not come
to life at night!
In October of 2001, the
first of the four bird sculptures landed on campus. President Stephen
Tratchtenberg purchased this work, Hawk
on a Granite Post, from the Granary Gallery while visiting Martha’s
Vineyard. There is no need to take
cover; the hawk can be found at his usual resting place on his post on the
southeast corner of the University Yard. The second bird to flock to campus was
an eagle, titled, Eagle Bearing Inscription
91101. The eagle sculpture is inscribed with “91101”, to honor September 11th
and the lives lost. The eagle recently took flight from its home at Eye Street
because of construction of the “super dorm” and is in search of a new location
to call home. At the same time of the purchase of the eagle, a second hawk made
its way to the GW Mount Vernon campus. The final addition to this flock of birds
was the crow on a post titled, The Raven.
The crow was dedicated on January 19th of 2006, on the birthday of
Edgar Allen Poe. Keep a lookout for the crow, which can be spotted perched in
front of Old Main Building located on 1922 F Street.
Stone carver, Ben Cabot,
began exploring his craft by the landscape of Martha’s Vineyard inspiring him
to construct freestanding stone walls. He is completely self-taught in the art
of stone carving and currently works as a stone mason on Martha’s Vineyard. Many
of Cabot’s works are of animals, such as seals and penguins, however his main
muse for his creations are birds. His mastery in creating birds is due to his
extensive knowledge of bird forms, coming from his interest in hunting and his
research of old decoys. Cabot shows at the Granary Gallery and the Field Gallery on Martha’s Vineyard. Aside from his works present of the campus of GW,
his sculptures can also be found in private collections in the United States
and Europe.
Do keep an eye out for
the hawks, the eagle and the crow as you travel the campus of GW! When you
happen to spot one of the eerie birds on campus, do not be wary! Do get up
close and personal to examine the precise carvings of the bird sculptures,
which transcend pieces of stone to life. We promise they do not peck!
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