Light in the Forest 2023

“Starflies”

This piece was meant to mimic the appearance of lightning bugs with glowing blue tails. Only fluorescent white yarn was used with a single 1W UV laser. A black structure of nylon paracord and acrylic yarn was created first and white acrylic yarn hung from this support structure.

Light in the Forest is an event held at the Cincinnati Nature Center in late November and December. The event takes place on a 0.5 mile lighted handicap-accessible walkway that is lined with thousands of Christmas lights, and contained sculptural and interactive light installations of different kinds.

The Cincinnati Nature Center is true to its name, with a commitment to education and conservation. My original plan for this piece was actually quite different, with draped sections of yarn going in many angular directions. However, the conservation director was especially concerned about harm to raptors (birds) that may not be able to see the strands of yarn. We ultimately settled on strands of yarn that were attached only on one side in the hope that it would prevent tangles with birds and deer. Ironically, this piece was located at the far corner near some auxiliary parking and a feature known as the “bone yard” where children can learn about decomposition.

The effect of this piece was incredibly difficult to capture on camera, but the total scale was about 100′ across and 40′-50′ in depth. Yarn began about 12-14′ in the air.