Sandow Birk - City Birds

Koplin Del Rio is delighted to present a new online exhibition by Los Angeles–based artist Sandow Birk. The gallery has worked closely with Birk for many years, presenting landmark bodies of work including In Smog and Thunder: Historical Paintings of the War of the Californias, Dante’s Inferno, and the widely recognized American Qur’an, a project that thoughtfully engaged the cultural and religious complexities of the post-9/11 era.

Between these ambitious, multi-year undertakings, Birk often turns to what he describes as a “visual palate cleanser”—smaller, more intuitive bodies of work that offer space for experimentation, immediacy, and renewal. These moments in his practice reveal a lighter, more spontaneous approach, while remaining grounded in his keen observational eye.

The present series of bird paintings emerged in the wake of the recent presidential election. Seeking momentum during a moment of personal and collective uncertainty, Birk began painting simply to stay engaged in the act of making. Rather than depicting idealized birds in nature, he focused on the birds he encounters daily in the city—common, familiar presences rendered with wit, attentiveness, and quiet affection.

At once charming and grounding, these works offer a pause from the constant churn of current events. They invite close looking and a moment of reflection, capturing beauty in the everyday and the overlooked.