Flutter Wall⤣ SERIES
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Flutter Wall

2015
It is one's touch that brings this lepidopterist's dream to life

This is part of a larger artwork. See the full artwork series:

Recognised for their beauty, elegance and wide variety, butterflies are also known for their fragility. To touch one is a destructive act, as an individual’s fingertips have the power to destroy the delicate layers that make up their wings. In Flutter Wall, the viewer, presented with a lepidopterist’s cabinet of colourful butterfly specimens, has the opportunity to touch the creatures without causing harm. Instead, such contact brings the insects back to life. The work can quickly transform into a swarming kaleidoscope of butterflies, their frenzied flight dominating the screen before once again they settle to create a stunning array of colour.

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Information

Year:

2015

Edition:

Edition of 8 + 2 Artist Proofs + 2 Museum Proofs, per canvas size

Materials:

Code, electronics, computer, 4K touch display, 3D sensor, metal

Details:

Dimensions in MM:

50 Butterflies / 65 inch version:
860 (W) x 1595 (H) x 203 (D) mm

91 Butterflies / 86 inch version:
1170 (W) x 2110 (H) x 17.3 (D) mm

Dimensions in INCHES:

50 Butterflies / 65 inch version:
33.8 (W) x 62.8 (H) x 8 (D) inches

91 Butterflies / 86 inch version:
46.1 (W) x 83.1 (H) x 6.9 (D) inches

Context

"Fascination with the butterfly is not a recent phenomenon in the art world. From Vincent van Gogh to Salvador Dalí, the butterfly has presented itself as a timeless kindred spirit, offering a variety of interpretations many of which have had a long-standing presence in popular culture, film and literature, as well as art. With their enormous palette of colours, as well as their fragility and variety, butterflies have often been used to symbolise aspects of human nature. The wide range of interpretations is as far-reaching as the many species of butterfly found across the world. One of the more compelling in art history has been the representation of humanity’s capability for transformation. Contemporary artists of different mediums have grasped this historical precedence and upheld the numerous symbolic references, so that the butterfly has come to signify a ubiquitous theme: the duality of life and death. Dominic Harris has built upon these foundations by using the butterfly not only as an art piece, but also as a design object. The viewer is in the direct gaze of Harris’ interpretation as well as the butterfly’s natural creative spirit, allowing new discourses between the audience, the artist and these colourful insects to take shape."

Extract from
essay by Harman Bains

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