GILDED IDOLS

What sort of people are you? The ‘Big-Picture’ types, or detail-oriented? This series was inspired by the concept that “the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.” The fish are made of driftwood – remarkably durable timber that withstood water erosion for centuries or even millennia symbolizing strength and resilience. It was vividly clear to me, even as I bought them, that I would breathe new life into them. The idea was to give the audience a closer look at something resembling a real-life fish, with its unique textures, colors, and shapes.

As I was working on the pieces, I researched various textures and elements from different worlds to create something grander. The top layer has been comprised of thousands of green Jewel Beetles indigenous to Thailand. I dismantled their armor, which protects their delicate wings and serves to camouflage them in nature, and arranged the beetles in an overlapping pattern, one on top of the other, to simulate fish scales. I commissioned the eyes from a professional specializing in designing artificial eyes for stuffed animals. That made them look even more realistic. I then gilded each fish in 24K gold, which beautifully complemented the green beetle color, granting the objects a regal look. Finally, I added texture-like illustrations to the fish ‘scales’ to form a 3D,  authentic effect.