mothbox

what are we pulled toward?
when we get there, how are we changed?
what sound does that make?
what did we miss along the way?

This new work comes from my studying of how moths make sounds, and how those sounds are used to form connections, find direction, and stay safe. Through scientific conversations with entomologists and allegorical conversations with poets, we developed these cross-speicies understandings of attraction, gravitation, and transformation, which led to the narratives in this piece. The 4-channel audio work is comprised of ultrasonic sounds produced by moths, woven with personal stories. The sculpture of the box and cocoon is a result of my gravitation toward these details of insect beauty and transformation, with the engravings tracing the wing patterns of hawkwing moths.

Many thanks to the entomologists at Barber Sensory Ecology Lab & Migratory Insect Pests and Advanced Control Technology Group at NARO. And many thanks to Annie, Cy, Julia, Michaela, Miranda, Rob, Robin, Shelton for the conversations, stories, and voices in the piece.

Here is an excerpt of the composition in a stereo mix