Are those real insects? Ever since I started working on this piece in my studio at the Torpedo Factory, I have been asked this question. No, these are not real, this was not an insect blood bath. Mine are much bigger than the insect wings they resemble. I did have a few real insect parts left from my entomologist mentors and they acted as models for the art work. These fragments are torn, delicate and so tiny.
This composition combines many different kinds of insects, however I find mayflies to be the most fascinating. They live in the air such a short time, do not eat before they die and they simply procreate and fall flat with exhaustion. Yet they are visually beautiful and environmentally necessary, part of the evolutionary chain and yet so much more. My goal was to capture this cycle and create a piece with movement and delicate color combinations.
I used a variety of materials and techniques to create this work. I printed and painted on thin Japanese paper and plastic. To get the highly textured look I then molded and sewed the material. This is the most textured work I have ever created.
I made a small model months ago. A fellow artist saw it and wanted this experimental piece as a gift for another artist friend’s birthday. It was her discovery of the piece, in the mess of my studio, that allowed me to see it freshly and lead to my creation of this much larger and more complex version.
Rosemary