Forbidden, 6×6, oil & mixed media

This piece made its debut at the 2024 National Orange Show. It dovetails with a larger, more formal piece called “Citrus Paradisi“, because we cannot have a citrus-themed show without including the invasive fruit flies that have ravaged Southern California this year.

Redlands was in a fruit quarantine zone where many residents had their fruit picked and destroyed by the county. A small price for slowing the spread of an invasive fly that cripples crops statewide, but still traumatic for locals who love their trees and may not have directly seen the fly on their properties.

The perspective of the piece is that we are within a glass cell with several of the flies. They walk on the window, looking through it to a citrus tree beyond. The flies are made with upcycled plastic, old guitar strings, glue, and acrylic paint. Although a threat in real life, they are quite charismatic as miniature sculptures on this work.

Pricing Information: $300