Anatomy of a Murder

Jordan Yi
Anatomy of a Murder
2021
Micron, Charcoal
12 x 9
$1,750

Jordan Yi is a Korean-American artist attending the University of Chicago. Her primary media include graphite, ink, and digital illustration, but she has recently been exploring acrylic painting. Her illustrations tend to draw inspiration from nature and macabre symbolism for her illustrations, while her paintings focus more on themes of childhood and nostalgia. Though she double majors in visual art and linguistics and minors in neuroscience, her goal is to become a tattoo artist. Outside of art assignments, she designs tattoos and album art for commission and continues to hone her craft. Her currently featured pieces are stand-alone works. 

Anatomy of a Murder, Jordan Yi
This piece depicts a funeral, a social ritual observed in American crows. Upon spotting a fallen crow, a witness will release a series of shrill caws to alert any that may be nearby. The result is a mass of black corvids—ranging from just a handful to dozens of attendees—encircling the corpse. They begin in silence, then erupt into chaotic cawing and a violent flapping of wings, only to fall still once again. The cycle repeats for about half an hour, and after the final hush sweeps across the group to halt the screeches, the flock disperses into the sky.