Joyous Infestation

dimensions:  14x7x7”

materials:  Clay, paint, wire, flocking

date: 2023

My partner and I planned to get married in 2020. That was put on hold when the pandemic hit, but that summer their father was diagnosed with rapid onset dementia and began to decline rapidly. In early July, it became clear that time was short. My partner only had two living family members, and we wanted them both to be there in some way. In two weeks we planned a 12-person outdoor socially distanced micro-wedding. We were lucky to have a friend who’s family had a beautiful piece of land nearby that they let us use.

Unfortunately, time was shorter than we had realized. My partner’s father passed away 8 days before the wedding. It was a tumultuous and emotional time, full of both grief and joy. Just before the ceremony, the friend whose family owned the land picked me a bouquet  of wildflowers from their pollinator meadow, which I carried down the grass “isle” between distanced folding chairs. I took the bouquet home and put it in a vase on my worktable. A couple of days after the wedding I noticed movement among the flowers. Closer investigation led me to discover that they were full of caterpillars! Loopers, sunflower borers, and even a monarch. As the flowers wilted, dried, and were eaten away, these caterpillars grew and transformed. It was an incredible gift.