The focal point of the exhibition is the large-scale installation piece Angangueo, which explores the extraordinary migration cycle of the monarch butterfly. Angangueo is the name of the town in the mountains of Michoacan, Mexico, which is home to the overwintering colonies of millions of monarch butterflies. As spring approaches in North America, the monarchs begin their epoch journey from their winter habitat in Mexico back to their summer feeding grounds in the northern United States and Canada. When temperatures begin to drop in the fall, the monarchs will begin their return trip to Mexico, funneling through Texas as they complete their migratory cycle.
The gum bichromate photographic process, in which watercolor paint is combined with a light-sensitive chemical, was used to produce the hundreds of images that comprise the work. Each individual print bears a "butterfly" shape, which is actually created from silhouettes of human profiles. The color palette of bright oranges and blue in the work was inspired by the sight of millions of monarch butterflies against a backdrop of intense sky blue.
The exhibition also includes the Wake Capture series of four new silverpoint drawings on panel. The term "wake capture" refers to a phenomenon of butterfly locomotion in which the insects "capture" the "wake" created by their own wing motions to gain additional lift. The drawings are based on scientific diagrams of these aerodynamic mechanisms.
Finally, the four small watercolors in the exhibition explore subtle variations of wing and sky colors within the matrix of a butterfly wing eye spot.