The Aurelians

butterflies, beetles, & dragonflies in wooden cases with electronics & video
12" x 12" x 5" each
2003

Referring to the first entomology society in 17th c. England, The Aurelians is a set of four pinned insect collections, each commenting on the legacy of this practice. Ghost shows a mechanical butterfly tumbling in slow motion on a tiny video monitor, amidst a set of pinned butterflies. Collapse is a heap of broken butterflies at the bottom of a box. In Lost, one beetle in a large collection spins slowly counterclockwise. In Possessed, one of three dragonflies gives a fleeting twitch every few minutes.