A butterfly lives only for eight days; a winged termite ant only for a day. Don’t they flutter their wings and fly? Don’t they live their life in enjoyment?” –Â Lyrics from the Pookuruvi song, Tamil Movie – Sundara Kandam, 1992.
Inspiration: Luna Moth
Everyday we get an opportunity to challenge ourselves, to do something new. But more often than not, we let those pass by. We make excuses and later regret not having lived life to its fullest. I seem to do this a lot lately. Infact, I almost let the March Art Elements March Challenge go without participating in it. I had all sorts of excuses ready. I am not free, I am not feeling creative, I have done a similar challenge before and I did not have the required materials. However, I came across a whole packet of UFOs. It made me look at the challenge differently. I decided to stop cribbing and try something creative inspired by the Luna Moth, the symbol of renewal and regeneration.
But before I talk more about Luna moths and how they inspired this necklace, here is a short story. I understand that this post is in bits and pieces, but trust me, it will all come together in the end.
Unfinished objects of the Creators.inc
Long long ago when the Earth was new, the Creator had a hectic job. She worked all day and all night everyday to create the multitude of species that abound this planet. Of course, the job was tiring but also interesting as she got to create samples of new species everyday which would then multiply (ahem procreate) to create more of themselves. This went on for centuries, with the creator becoming the Creators.Inc. More creators were hired to keep up with the demand to create new species. They were all highly competitive and wanted to outdo one another. They became bricoleurs who would create new forms using existing items in hand. Some attempts were successful, some failed, left by the way side and soon perished. The fittest survived, evolved.
Millenniums later, while the Creators.inc continued to function, it wasn’t what it once was. The new creators were competitive like their ancestors but lacked the patience to practice their creation skills. They wanted instant gratification, moulded perfection. After all, their food and drink was made at the touch of a button. So whenever a sample failed to meet their expectation it was relegated to the dark corners of their studio, unfinished. There it would wait until, a creator had enough time, patience and creativity to shape it a complete object.
But creators often forgot about these experiments and they languished. The creators spent time and resources in half hearted attempts to create something new – because they had to. The next big shiny thing was out there to distract them. Thus more UFOs – Unfinished objects were generated. They only got a life, if they were accidentally discovered by their creators during a rare process called cleaning. The unfinished objects lived in eternal hope that one day they will have a chance at rebirth, renewal, and regeneration.
Luna Moth Necklace – a UFO story
The UFO that I found while looking for another supply in my cupboard was the focal you see in this Luna Moth necklace. It is a coloured moth wire wrapped to a stamped and coloured copper sheet. A rhinestone focal added another layer to this mixed metal pendant. I made it in 2017 using the Pebeo paint coated butterfly that was once again – an UFO from 2016. Setting aside the fact that I had an ufo that looked like a green moth, I wanted to design a necklace that imbibes the spirit of the luna moth.
Did you know, that an adult moth lives only for a week (to procreate) and never eats? I bet it doesn’t complain either for it eats for a month as a caterpillar. To protect themselves from predators like bats, it swings its wingtips disorienting an approaching bat. Now that is what I call as winging it. So I winged the component as well adding beads, briolettes, and chain to make the necklace. The pendant of Luna Moth Necklace is around 4.5 inches similar to that of the wingspan of a real Luna moth.
My motive behind using an unfinished object to create a piece inspired by the metaphors of renewal and rejuvenation was to layer the meaning. Many of us designers, including me, think, that only new (freshly made) components/beads can make up a superior piece. By using previously made components we feel that it becomes inferior. But we fail to see the value in the effort that went into creating the piece. I believe that if we want to build a sustainable practice then responsible repurposing is the way to go. We could begin with our own UFOs. I would like to know you think. Please share your comments and feedback.
This month’s Participants
This is a blog hop. Please visit the other participants to see how they interpreted the Luna Moth.
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