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Underwater Butterfly Flight Series - Swarm

The butterfly has wide significance through different cultures; as a symbol of love, regeneration, fortune, freedom, spirituality and death. Of particular interest to me is that Greek mythology links the butterfly to the souls of those who have passed away.

This series explores these subjects as they appear hyper-real and painterly as light from the waters own wave energy interacts with the scene. I breed these remarkable creatures myself, and through this process for me a strong dialogue becomes apparent. As if asking us to accept the changes in our lives as abiding as she does. The butterfly unquestioningly embraces the changes of both her body and environment. The epic transition that this delicate creature undergoes gives hope as it expends energy on a huge scale to make it happen. Imagine the whole of your life changing to such an extreme where you are unrecognizable at the end of the transformation offers great hope to me.

Exploring these themes through the introduction of water; acting as both nurturer and destroyer, it has the power to cleanse and reinvent, or to drown and disappear. Believing that drawing on water’s transient and destructive nature exposes the fragility of life, and the temporary nature of our existence.

This series for me acts as a reflection on life and mortality; it is fleeting, beautiful and ultimately tragic.

© 2000-2011 Alexander James Studio@Distil Ennui.com