There is a project which I have been thinking about and working on for quite some time now. Basically it is a living kinetic sculpture of a full sized tree (15/20 ft. tall), with living green tropical butterflies as the leaves. The tree itself, functioning as armature for the piece, would be made of wood. The butterflies themselves (either the Variegated Fritillary or perhaps the Great Spangled Fritillary, both of which are found in Brazil) would need to be brought in and raised specifically for this project. The tree structure’s “branches” would be covered with a butterfly attracting nectar, (Butterfly Weed, Gloriosa Daisy, or Thistle Verbena, which are the preferred nectars for these species) to insure that the “leaves” would stick close to the “tree”. The butterflies would certainly be all over the exhibition space, but most of them will be feeding on the tree, and providing the sculpture with its full shape. There are of course a number of variables when working on a project of this nature (I have worked with living animals and insects before) however; I believe the outcome would be spectacular.

Chris Lipomi The Butterfly Tree, 2001 – present Wood, Living Butterflies, Nectar. Dimensions variable