As a shadow passes over quickly some primal instinct makes us flinch, if imperceptibly so. Like a falconer sending a bird in search of prey, so Americans dispatch the military to protect and acquire resources to sustain our way of life… It’s in our nature.

Patchen uses digital technology ranging from 3D printing and pen plots to data projections combined with traditional media to transform American military aircraft into birds. With a nod to Audubon, these now autonomous beings are captured in sculpture, drawings, amulets, laser-cuts, video and digital prints as they carry out bird-like rituals that are threatening or comforting depending on your politics.