In the Dark

Rheya Phoenix, Hobart City High School

In collaboration with Dr. Lisa Gershwin

Artist’s Statement

The research that inspired this piece of work is all centered around things that glow in the natural world and the reasoning behind it.

For my work, I have chosen to sculpt several living creatures that have been found to be either bioluminescent (produce their own glow) or biofluorescent (produce a glow under certain light conditions) and present them as if they had been taxidermised. These include an emperor scorpion, a snaggletooth, honey mushroom and a firefly squid. I have used aluminum foil and wire for the base, before covering that in clay and sculpting. I have used acrylic paints and special UV ink for the colours and to create the glow.

Through my meetings with Lisa, I have been able to grasp an understanding of just how many ordinary and unexpected things glow under the right conditions, and even find reasoning behind it.

Through my work I hope to show the viewer a small snapshot into the world of natural glow, and just how vast and unexpected it can be. 

Photographer: OI Studios

Description: For my work, I have chosen to sculpt several living creatures that have been found to be either bioluminescent (produce their own glow) or biofluorescent (produce a glow under certain light conditions) and present them as if they had been taxidermised. These include an emperor scorpion, a snaggletooth, honey mushroom and a firefly squid. I have used aluminum foil and wire for the base, before covering that in clay and sculpting. I have used acrylic paints and special UV ink for the colours and to create the glow.