An Insect Inspired Art Exhibit I Wish I Had Seen and Bilateral Gynandromorphism!

An Insect Inspired Art Exhibit I Wish I Had Seen….

Carlos Amaroles’ Black Cloud, 2009, Espacio AV

Black Cloud, 2007, Yvon Lambert Gallery

Black Cloud is an installation involving 10,000 black paper moths.  The piece was first installed at Yvon Lambert in 2007, then again in 2009 at Espacio AV.  Yvon Lambert is a gallery in Paris, and Espacio AV is an old church in Spain.  The latest installation of the Black Cloud was at the Phoneix Art Museum in 2013.

Carlos Amaroles’ Black Cloud is inspired by the monarch migration.  As a young boy he would travel to Mexico, and see the monarchs’ migrations.  Amaroles remembers the monarchs swarming and covering the trees.  He distinctly remembers the noise of the thousands of the butterflies.  Amaroles states “What turns a beautiful butterfly into maybe something more disquieting.”  Amaroles goes on to state that one can think of the monarchs as one big animal.  Watch the interviewhttp://vimeo.com/60606734…. I think it is very interesting.

Moving to Science...

Bilateral gynandromorphism (half male half female butterflies, literally!)

Bilateral gyandromorphism is a rare condition when an animal or insect contains both male and female characteristics.  The condition is seen in birds, crustaceans, and insects.  Butterflies have some very impressive displays of bilateral gynandromorphism. 

What causes this? Scientists believe bilateral gynandromorphism occurs when two sperm enter an egg.  One of the sperm fuses with the nucleus of the egg, which then develops into a female insect.  The other sperm develops alone without another set of chromosomes creating a male insect.