Dilated Iris
2022
Watercolor, ink, and water, photographic transfer on silk
10” x 14” / 26 x 35.5 cm
Dilated Iris by Erin Bird merges the delicate mechanics of human vision with the natural beauty of the iris flower, creating a powerful metaphor for perception and awakening. Through her Waterprints technique, Bird draws parallels between the dilation of an eye’s iris—adjusting to let in more light—and the blooming of the iris flower, which unfolds with a quiet, yet vibrant, grace.
In this work, the eye’s dilation symbolizes an opening up to new perspectives, a moment where the world comes into clearer focus. The swirling, layered forms reflect this process of expansion, where light floods in, revealing hidden details and deeper truths. Just as the iris of the eye adjusts to darkness, seeking clarity, so too does the iris flower open its petals, reaching for the light.
Bird’s fluid use of color and texture evokes the organic rhythm of nature, where light, like water, flows into both the body and the earth, nourishing growth and understanding. Dilated Iris invites viewers to consider their own moments of awakening—those times when perception shifts and the world seems to bloom before our eyes, full of new meaning and insight.
2022
Watercolor, ink, and water, photographic transfer on silk
10” x 14” / 26 x 35.5 cm
Dilated Iris by Erin Bird merges the delicate mechanics of human vision with the natural beauty of the iris flower, creating a powerful metaphor for perception and awakening. Through her Waterprints technique, Bird draws parallels between the dilation of an eye’s iris—adjusting to let in more light—and the blooming of the iris flower, which unfolds with a quiet, yet vibrant, grace.
In this work, the eye’s dilation symbolizes an opening up to new perspectives, a moment where the world comes into clearer focus. The swirling, layered forms reflect this process of expansion, where light floods in, revealing hidden details and deeper truths. Just as the iris of the eye adjusts to darkness, seeking clarity, so too does the iris flower open its petals, reaching for the light.
Bird’s fluid use of color and texture evokes the organic rhythm of nature, where light, like water, flows into both the body and the earth, nourishing growth and understanding. Dilated Iris invites viewers to consider their own moments of awakening—those times when perception shifts and the world seems to bloom before our eyes, full of new meaning and insight.
2022
Watercolor, ink, and water, photographic transfer on silk
10” x 14” / 26 x 35.5 cm
Dilated Iris by Erin Bird merges the delicate mechanics of human vision with the natural beauty of the iris flower, creating a powerful metaphor for perception and awakening. Through her Waterprints technique, Bird draws parallels between the dilation of an eye’s iris—adjusting to let in more light—and the blooming of the iris flower, which unfolds with a quiet, yet vibrant, grace.
In this work, the eye’s dilation symbolizes an opening up to new perspectives, a moment where the world comes into clearer focus. The swirling, layered forms reflect this process of expansion, where light floods in, revealing hidden details and deeper truths. Just as the iris of the eye adjusts to darkness, seeking clarity, so too does the iris flower open its petals, reaching for the light.
Bird’s fluid use of color and texture evokes the organic rhythm of nature, where light, like water, flows into both the body and the earth, nourishing growth and understanding. Dilated Iris invites viewers to consider their own moments of awakening—those times when perception shifts and the world seems to bloom before our eyes, full of new meaning and insight.