In the air\, water\, and even under foot\, insects inhabit every domain of our daily lives\, performing essential fu nctions that balance our fragile ecosystem on earth. By using cutting-edge technology and custom methods\, artist Bob Sober created Small Wonder s: Insects in Focus\, an exhibition of breathtaking beauty that allow s viewers to see this hidden world like they&rsquo\;ve never seen it befor e. Small Wonders aims to inspire\, in an artistic way\, our natural curios ity to understand the form\, function\, and diversity of nature.
\nI nsects have been on earth for 350 million years\, while sharing the planet with humans for only the past 2 million years. Hundreds of thousands of i nsect species have been documented (scientists believe 30 million may exis t)\, far outnumbering the total of all other animal species. Insects are s o prolific that thousands share our own backyards.
\nCreating human- scale images of insects\, with resolution so high that every hair\, dimple \, and tiny structure is clearly revealed\, was impossible prior to the te chnological advancements of the past ten years. High-resolution digital ca meras\, fast personal computers\, economical digital storage\, and powerfu l software applications capable of assisting with the assembly of hundreds or thousands of individual photographs create the opportunity to capture accurate images of insects as they truly exist. \;
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These
new ways of seeing confront viewers with the idea that insects display th
e elements we attribute to good design or beautiful artwork. Colors like n
eon green\, sapphire blue\, crimson red\, deep violet\, and brilliant yell
ow are all part of the insect world. Wild\, multi-colored patterns sometim
es come from hair\, sometimes from iridescent scales\, and other times fro
m colors integral to the insect&rsquo\;s exoskeleton. Smooth metallic fini
shes and heavily stippled textures may exist on the same insect. Strange b
ody shapes\, delicate wing structures\, and beautifully engineered body co
mponents captivate. These tiny creatures are indeed artwork\, in every sen
se of the word.
Bob Sober\, a visual artist as well as technologic al pioneer whose photographic techniques are the subject of educational tu torials\, offers a series of thirty images that bring the natural world to a scale rarely experienced until now. Small Wonders finds viewers at the intersection of art and science and brings together two fields of thought in a provocative and inspiring way.
\nThe exhibition is organized by ExhibitsUSA\, a program of Mid-America Arts Alliance.
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