Von Bonin works across a variety of mediums and assembles a range of materials, including fabric, photographs, embroidery, and even bird excrement, to make drawings. By letting a bird leave its trace on her drawing, the artist undermines the value traditionally placed on the original artistic gesture. By incorporating a pattern for a marine badge, she references the feminine practice of sewing. Simultaneously, von Bonin points to and undermines the macho image of the military: though her inscription refers to power and strength, the smiley face brings the emblem within the context of children's games.
Gallery label from Compass in Hand: Selections from The Judith Rothschild Foundation Contemporary Drawings Collection, April 22, 2009–January 4, 2010.