Clinton Wilson
Chromaplay: The Political Life of Insects
April 16–May 15, 2004

Chromaplay is a complete taxonomy of the national flags of the world as displayed by the Lepidoptera sub-species of Pieridae known as Ascia Bunae. Mounted on walls, floor, ceiling and pillars, these dead and dried specimens (all two hundred and fifty six of them) have had their wings marked with a fragment of one of the identifying national political flags of the world. Mimicking both the iconography of national identity as well as small abstract geometric paintings, these creatures are ironically presented with faux-scientific precision as having “evolved” to adapt to the socialized world of Homo Sapiens. Conflating the categorizing fetishes of zoology and nationalism, Wilson’s “new” butterfly species suggests a political context in which discourse on the consumption of natural resources might be focused.