Track Series (Image #1)

"Tracks is an exploratory series of photographic, videographic, and long exposure motion capture images to map the habitual patterns of bess beetles. In order to track the beetles, I affix tiny ""backpacks"" to them that I have made with self-adhesive velcro, a small watch battery, and variable light emitting diodes. The beetles create the tracked light lines over 4-5 hour-long exposure photographs. Because these beetles constantly burrow through hard woods to make tunnels or galleries, they have a unique brute strength that is unrivaled by many other organisms, including human beings. The Tracks project is conceptually rooted within notions of emergence, travel, and unrecognized path-making as well as my persistent desire to collaborate (uninvitedly) with insects. The tracks of light created by the bess beetles are ultimately paths of sustainability, and my series of images pay homage to the vital work that goes on beneath our feet and within our forests while we are sleeping."