Ecology, sound and light influenced art -Biomemetic work

Creating biomemetic works that integrate data sonification and visualization. The rhythmic pattern of the firefly calls is significant component of the Firefly Tree. This pattern is featured by the data sonification of the Firefly Chorus and the data visualization controlling the LEDs blinking rate. This dual reference underscores the biomimetic nature of the work both visually and acoustically and provides an original and imaginative way of simultaneously injecting both form and content. “Where have all of the fireflies gone?” is a commonly heard despair. The loss of fireflies in our communities is primarily based on the increased light pollution from urban structures. Therefore fireflies are a succinct metaphor for the fragility of our ecosystem.

The firefly or lightning bug is an insect that has fascinated people for probably as long as humans have known of them. We know that for centuries people in the West Indies put them in between their toes to help them also find their way at night. More recerntly their flashing green and blue lights have inspired an entire branch of science, protein bioluminescence. But when seen in the first warm summer night, they seem simply magical. They light up memories of childhood when we collected them in jars for temporary nightlights and hold us in awe when whole forests and thickets light up in shifting rhythmic patterns of painted light as they search for a mate. Today people mourn their loss making memories of fireflies more precious as the illumination of the cities and towns drown out their mating light show.
This natural bioluminescence has been mimicked and art works have been created by China Blue Wong.

This work has been shown in the solo exhibition Firefly Projects at the Newport Art Museum, Newport, RI and the Firefly Festival, Pawtucket, RI.

You can read all about the work by clicking on the link.

http://www.chinablueart.com/FireflyProjects.html