Wings Transformed

In honor of Learn About Butterflies Day, we’re revisiting one of our past exhibits —Wings Transformed by Amy Perlmutter. This astounding exhibit featured photographs of monarch and morpho butterflies in ways visitors had never seen them before. Let’s revisit this incredible exhibit through Amy’s words and photographs.

I see the world in color. Whether it’s the varied shades of a green leaf, the amazing tones of orange and red in a sunset or my own vivid dreams — color surrounds and inspires me. 

I love nature. Whether it involves a long walk with my dogs, a hike in the mountains, exploring a desert or simply an everyday drive through my town, I am always on the lookout for nature’s presence providing me with images to hone in on through the lens of my camera. 

My passion for both color and nature has led me to produce my most recent project, WINGS TRANSFORMED. The transformation of caterpillar to butterfly captivated me. I have spent time photographing butterflies at the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum, Chicago Botanic Garden, and Florida’s Butterfly World. This inspired me to begin a quest to learn more about these spectacular insects and what can be discovered through the process of shooting ultra-macro images of their intricate wings. As I refined my process, I realized the astounding beauty revealed to me was not visible with the naked eye. As a digital craftsman I want my photo practice to honor the natural specimen. My art making involves hours spent in a digital layering process that often allows the finished work to be magnified up to 50 times. The results are an exciting revelation to me as an artist. 

In WINGS TRANSFORMED three distinct stages evolved: discovery, reassembly, and reinvention. Each image passes through a set of criteria I’ve created to present the complex patterns and unique translations of these living pieces of art. 

You can learn more about Amy’s work by visiting her website at www.azpphotography.com