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My artwork of the last decade has been a continuing
dialog with the natural sciences.
My hope is that the work explores the inherent basis of the
human need for nature. This need was coined biophilia by E.O.
Wilson. Wilson defines biophilia as the innately emotional
affiliation of human beings to other living things. I believe
that we live in a time in which it is highly critical to promote
our respect for, and redefine the delicate relationship to,
the many living things on our planet. I have chosen moths
to study and create work from because of their diversity (approx.
14,000 species found in the United States) and their rich
mythology in history. They are also a family of insects that
most people know so little about, both visually and environmentally.
A goal of my artwork is to bring this information to a diverse
audience who may not normally be aware of, or come in contact
with the beauty and diversity of moths.
I started with the insect pieces as collages, but I soon
stripped them of that kind of formal complexity and left the
insects alone, arranged on a page. Digital scanning technology
allows for the examination of the insects at a very high resolution.
This creates an effect of hyper-real vision where it becomes
possible to see structures of the insect that the naked eye
cannot discern. This process results in the making of images
that have their own inherent techno-visual qualities that
differs from photography. There is an incredible reality that
we are now able to see that reveals the beauty along with
the monstrosity of moths with all their preposterous hair
and scales. Their beauty becomes a totally different kind
- a sort of repulsive, disquieting beauty. These images may
be of insects half a centimeter long that become 3' by 4'
when enlarged and printed.
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Joseph
Scheer
Professor
of Print Media and Co-Director/ Founder of
The Institute for Electronic Arts
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His most recent work has been exhibited at The Brooklyn Museum
of Art, Brooklyn, New York and the National Museum of China, Beijing.
The Regional Museum of Kristianstad Sweden and The Field Museum,
Chicago, IL, He has published two books about his work; Night
Visions, the Secret Designs of Moths , published by Prestel
and Night Flyers , published by Nexus Press. His work
has been written about in: National Geographic , the New
York Times , Flaunt, ArtNews, Science, Nature,
Forbes , US Air Attache', American Photo, DER SPIEGEL,
The Chronicle for Higher Education and The Ganzfield .
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