For "Lepidoptera", Mexican artist Gabriel de la Mora created 33 beautiful abstract, geometrical compositions using butterfly wings sourced from conservation farms in Peru, Indonesia and Madagascar. The wings are collected by locals once they insects are no longer alive. De la Mora deconstructs the wings with a mathematical precision to rearrange them into mosaic-like compositions: he talks about how his dyslexic condition has challenged him to see visual stimuli in a different way:
"Cuando no entiendes la información que tienes enfrente o que escuchas, inmediatamente se convierten en imágenes, en fragmentos, en ruido, en sonidos y en un sinfín de cosas que no tienen nada que ver con la realidad de los contenidos o las cosas.”
The quote translated into english reads:
"When you don't understand the information that is in front of you or what you hear, it immediately transforms itself into fragments, noise, sounds and in an infinite amount of things that have nothing to do with the reality of things or with what the things really are."
De la Mora is known to use natural materials in his practice, ranging from human hair, egg shells and feather and most recently, butterfly wings. He refers to the butterfly as a symbol of fire, representing movement and the soul. Drawing from his Mexican roots, he points out that butterflies were the source of inspiration for poetry writing in pre-Hispanic times.
Butterflies are known to go through a metamorphosis to become their final self: from egg, to caterpillar, to cocoon to finally butterflies. This transformation was one of the factors that drew the artist to use this insect as his vessel to portray his abstract works.
"Lepidoptera" is de la Mora's third solo show with Perrotin and it will be on view through December 23rd at the gallery's Orchard Street location.
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