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Artist Ansel Oommen
New Hyde Park, New York USA
Carnality and Innocence
Mixed Media
Artist Statement
This piece stems from my other background in citizen science. As a gardener and photographer for the Center for Invasive Species and Ecosystem Health, I encounter agricultural pests quite frequently. A flying plague upon cole crops everywhere, the cabbage white (Pieris rapae) is a repeat offender, found on broccoli and kale, cabbage and cauliflower alike with no discrimination. However, unlike most gardeners, I purposely lure my pesky subjects to better observe their life cycles. To attract gravid females, I planted a strategic combination of host plants including kohlrabi, kale, and greek cress. Both eggs and caterpillars were routinely collected from my garden and reared indoors to adulthood. Once the adults had emerged, they were euthanized, pinned, and assembled inside a Riker mount.
By being an active participant in the cabbage white’s life cycle, I developed an appreciation for the raw tenacity of a species that has conquered Europe, Africa, Asia, Australia, and North America. Several of my observations were shared with the University of Notre Dame’s Pieris Project, who is currently trying to analyze its genetic code. I wanted to capture the destructive aesthetic of invasive pests and the cabbage white butterfly, with its powdery and delicate seeming exterior, was the perfect candidate.
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