vibrANT matter
Leaves, bark and other ground matter were gathered during recent trips to Blackheath, some burnt. Bull ants forage on some of the leaves.
A homage to Jane Bennett’s book Vibrant Matter, which has inspired much of my thinking about the more-than-human world. This work is a test but perhaps further down the track it will grow into a carpet of forest matter crawling everywhere with bull ants. This would sit underneath thick clear glass flooring so that you could walk over the work. Peoples' level of empathy is tested towards a creature that we have been conditioned to dislike by enlarging the ants slightly (3-4 cm instead of 1.5-2 cm) so people can examine their large eyes, beautiful colour, and their vibrancy.
These ants are painted from photographs taken in Bongil Bongil National Park near Coffs Harbour. Later I discovered they are Jumping Jack or Jack Jumper bull ants, Myrmecia nigrocinta. As their name hints, they are amazing jumpers so I felt fortunate not to be jumped at and stung.
