MoonriseMoonset

This is detail from a piece I entered into a group exhibition at Matthei Botanical Gardens late last year. These photos were taken in 2013, and for the exhibition I put them in a frame I found in an abandoned house outside of town.

The title of the exhibit was "50 Shades of Green" and challenged artists to interpret and explore the color green. It was a fun theme; this was my artist's statement displayed with the piece:

"MoonriseMoonset - Luna moths (Actias luna) emerge from their cocoons mouth-less. They have a week to mate, and then they die. In the top photograph, we see a male at the height of his splendor. Surrounded by the lush foliage of early summer, he hangs from a leaf, coupled to his mate. In the bottom photograph, we find a decaying Luna, perched on a mushroom in early autumn. The colors and telltale markings are still visible, leaving us to ponder the week during which those delicate, green wings were perfect, and the promise of life was at its fullest."