
In Butterfly: Sacred Transformation, Jody Stewart-Keller weaves together “tiny dots of color” using glass beads to create a miniature mosaic butterfly. The color of butterflies comes from light reflecting off the tiny scales that line their wings, and Stewart-Keller incorporates a variety of beads, including luster, opaque, silver-lined, and transparent, to achieve the same effect. The title refers to the metamorphosis from caterpillar to butterfly, which, in many cultures, signifies spiritual rebirth.
“In nature, the butterfly is a marvel of beauty and mystery … When a [caterpillar] becomes a butterfly, it goes through an amazing metamorphosis. This transformation renders a creature that captivates mankind.” Artist’s statement
- Title
-
Butterfly: Sacred Transformation
- Artist
- Date
- 1993
- Location
- Not on view
- Dimensions
- 16 x 9 3⁄4 x 1⁄4 in. (40.6 x 24.8 x .6 cm) irregular
- Credit Line
-
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Gift of the artist in memory of her great-great grandmother, Annie Crippen, Ojibwa
- Mediums
- Mediums Description
- stitched and woven glass beads, Austrian lead crystal beads, and sterling silver
- Classifications
- Keywords
-
- Animal – insect – butterfly
- Object Number
-
1996.95
- Palette
- Linked Open Data
- Linked Open Data URI