Juried into Online Exhibit

Rachel Wright

Delta Moth Series; Pine Devil Moth

Rachel Wright
Mobile, AL United States

“The Delta to me remains an American Amazon that few have entered and fewer still know and understand.” - E.O. Wilson

This body of work is a result of a process of inquiry and discovery at the intersection of art, biology, and ecology. It begins with a question: “What kind of moths reside in the Mobile-Tensaw Delta?” The MT Delta has been called “America’s Amazon” because of its rich biodiversity, so I knew it had to be home to some unique types of moths, but no one could tell me which species lived there. I took it upon myself to find out. My obsession with moths has given me a reason to explore this primitive, rich world that may soon disappear. It is my hope that the viewer will come away with a greater appreciation of and respect for this magical place and its inhabitants.

The research involved canoe explorations in remote areas of the Mobile-Tensaw Delta, where we would spend the night in the glow of UV lights. The lights would attract moths that I captured in photographs. Once home, I could use books and online sites to identify the species, and also learn about the ecology of the Delta. The Pine Devil Moth (Citheronia sepulcralis) is startling to encounter, as it is very large. As is the case with other giant silk moths, it does not feed as an adult.

Instead of collecting specimens, I model the moths in clay and then cast the forms in glass. I am painstaking about the shape and colors I choose, but I also allow the process of casting to be visible. The color variations in the fused glass maps are a result of chemical interactions between the silver and metallic colorants in the glass, and are often unpredictable and exciting.

Dimensions: 11 x 11 x 1.5