SWARM the World 2015
I was selected as one of about 150 artists internationally to participate in Tasha Lewis' SWARM the World project in 2015. www.swarmtheworld.com Little did I know how much activity it would generate in Manitoba! More than 4,000 of magnetic cloth and cyanotype butterflies in groups of 400 butterflies each were sent travelling through zones internationally. I initially thought of installing and photographing the butterflies at three sites: on the pipe organ at an old church, with a group of youth at a First Nations organization and somewhere out in the country. Clearly the universe decided this lacked ambition and very quickly I found that the butterflies launched a five week arts festival, travelled with three other professional photographers to other sites, and were installed by myself in easily a dozen places, including the old church and the First Nations youth group who are called the Butterfly Girls and who created their own installation. Butterfly is a symbol for transformation and this is what they achieved - for a lot of people who got involved - and there were dozens. As an artist, it was everything I dreamed of and more. Below are some of the pictures that were taken.