Surrounded by myth, superstition and misconception, the magpie is a bird of complex symbolic and folkloric origin. From the trade-mark trinket laden nest to their ominous numerically fateful flocks, the monochromatic magpie is a bird both maligned and revered throughout the western and eastern worlds.

Fiercely intelligent and the only non-mammal to identify themselves in a mirror recognition test, combined with their covetous nature and weakness for shiny objects the magpie is as diverse and interesting as the objects that litter it's nest.

During the past few months, my pattern of research has begun to resemble behaviour akin to a magpie; focusing on the collection, assemblage and organisation of objects. Parallel to this I have been involved in a collaborative film project featuring a magpie which required me to construct several nests. The process involved was fascinating, and the complexity of mimicking such distinctive animal behaviour has provided a rich ground for research and thought. Subsequently I have become particularly interested in the possibility of "becoming animal", fostered by the human assemblage of a nest in the manner of non-human animal.