FREDERICK HAMMERSLEY FOUNDATION...

...NEW MEXICO ARTS, A DIVISION OF THE DEPARTMENT

AND BY THE NATIONAL ENDOWMENT FOR THE ARTS.

...AND VIEWERS LIKE YOU

THIS TIME, ON COLORES!

THROUGH A SUITE OF POEMS, ALBUQUERQUE POET AND

AUTHOR V.B. PRICE SHARES THE INCREDIBLE EXPERIENCE OF DYING

AND "COMING BACK TO LIFE".

PHOTOGRAPHER ANDREAS FRANKE IS ALARMED ABOUT

PLASTIC POLLUTION IN THE OCEAN.

ASTRO-PHOTOGRAPHERS CAPTURE BREATHTAKING

IMAGERY OF THE STARS.

FASCINATED BY 18TH CENTURY DESIGN AND SCIENCE FICTION

CINDY WYNN CREATES FURNITURE OUT OF SCRAP METAL.

JENNIFER ANGUS CREATES A WONDERLAND WITH OVER

IT'S ALL AHEAD ON COLORES!

DON'T WASTE A MOMENT.

THIS POEM IS CALLED "WAKING UP."

WAKING UP, PLUCKED FROM THE VOID, A NEW STRETCH OF MIND.

ALL YOURS.

ALL YOURS TO FILL.

ALL YOURS AND ALREADY PARTIALLY BEHIND YOU.

THE ONLY ACTUAL POSSESSION YOU HAVE IS THE

WORLD MOVING THROUGH YOU.

I HAD A WEIRD THING HAPPEN TO ME I HAVE TO SAY, MY

HEART STOPPED IN A DOCTOR'S OFFICE AND FOR A

LITTLE WHILE MAYBE A COUPLE OF MINUTES I WAS

APPARENTLY NOT ALIVE.

THERE WAS A GREAT CODE NURSE THERE AND A GUY WITH

A DEFIBRILLATOR AND HE BROUGHT ME BACK TO LIFE

AND SO THESE POEMS THAT I'M WRITING ARE TRYING TO

DEAL WITH THAT STRANGE EXPERIENCE,

THAT GAP BETWEEN BEING ALIVE OVER HERE,

NOT BEING ALIVE IN HERE, AND BEING ALIVE OVER THERE.

THIS POEM'S CALLED "SUPPOSE YOUR HEART STOPS."

SUPPOSE YOUR HEART STOPS.

YOU'RE UNACCOUNTABLY BLANK.

BLANK TO THE WORLD.

BLANK TO YOURSELF.

AND THEN YOU'RE PLUCKED LIKE A KID FROM A RIPTIDE.

ALIVE!

NO LONGER BLANK.

LIKE THE DAY WHEN DEATH, PRESENT AS EVER, STRUMMED

YOUR EAR WHILE YOU WERE KISSING AND SAID

"LIVE. I AM COMING."

EVERYBODY WHO MAKES THINGS.

PRODUCERS, WRITERS, PAINTERS, MUSICIANS,

ANYBODY WHO WHO IS INVOLVED WITH THE SECRET

LIFE OF MAKING NEW THINGS.

WANTS TO, WANTS TO BE A GOOD CARPENTER.

WANTS TO POLISH AND SMOOTH AND SAND AND MAKE WHATEVER

THEY DO AS GOOD AS THEY CAN.

I'VE BEEN SO LUCKY TO HAVE THIS THIS STRANGE IDEA

COME TO ME, NOT FROM ANY VIRTUE OF MINE BUT THAT I SHOULD

REALLY WRITE A POEM EVERYDAY IF I'M GOING TO BE A POET.

AND UH SO.

I TRIED TO DO THAT BUT WHAT'S EXCITING ABOUT IT

IS THAT SUDDENLY WHERE THERE IS NOTHING, THERE IS

SOMETHING AND SOMETIMES IT'S REALLY EXCITING TO ME

AND SOMETIMES, I JUST SAY "OH DEAR I'LL TRY AGAIN

TOMORROW" BUT WHEN I SAY, "OH BOY HERE IT GOES!"

I TAKE OUT MY LITTLE SANDING BLOCK AND MY

LITTLE SAWS AND I MAKE A PIECE OF A PIECE OF

CARPENTRY WITH SMOOTH JOINERY.

IF I CAN.

"COMING BACK TO LIFE."

COMING BACK TO LIFE MIGHT FEEL THE FULL DARK MIRACLE.

MAGNIFICENT WITH GALAXIES, GEODES, A CHAMBERED

NAUTILUS, JELLYFISH, ISLAND FORESTS, MOUNTAIN

SNOW, AND GOLDFINCHES IN THE THORNS.

AND YOU'D WANT ALL THE GIFTS.

ALL OF THEM.

ALL OF THEM YOU NEVER KNEW WERE GIVEN UNTIL DEATH DUMPED YOU.

AWAKE AGAIN TO EVERYTHING.

EVERYTHING YOU THOUGHT, NOTHING OF BEFORE.

MY MOTHER EDITH BARRETT ALWAYS USE TO TELL ME WHEN

I WAS A KID "TO GET OUT OF YOUR OWN WAY."

I THINK REALLY THAT'S WHAT NOT BEING ALIVE THEN

COMING BACK LENDS ITSELF.

TO GETTING OUT OF YOUR WAY AND SUDDENLY SEEING, I'M

TRYING TO SEE OR BE OVERWHELMED SOMETIMES BY

THE WORLD AS IT IS AND ALL OF ITS MAGNIFICENCE, AND

ALL OF ITS INTIMACY, AND ALL OF ITS DIVERSITY AND

VARIETY, AND ALL OF ITS BEAUTY.

WE ALL KNOW THAT THE WORLD IS INFINITELY MORE

BEAUTIFUL THAN IT IS TERRIBLE.

INFINITELY KINDER THAN IT IS CRUEL.

IF IT WASN'T THAT WAY AS GANDHI SAID THE WORLD

WOULD FALL APART.

EVERY MOTHER, EVERY LOVER, EVERY FATHER, EVERY FRIEND.

MILLIONS AND MILLIONS AND MILLIONS OF TIMES A DAY.

BILLIONS OF TIMES A DAY!

BRING LOVE TO THE WORLD.

AND I THINK THAT'S WHAT WE ALL DO WHETHER WE KNOW IT OR NOT.

HOW MUCH PLASTIC IS IN THE OCEANS?

THE SUPER COOL THING WITH ARTWORK UNDERWATER IS THAT

AT FIRST IT'S JUST PHOTOGRAPHY, BUT AFTER

THIS, TO SEA HELPS ME TO MAKE THESE IMAGES UNIQUE

AND I HAVE NO INFLUENCE DURING THIS THREE MONTHS.

MY NAME IS ANDREAS FRANKE.

I'M A PHOTOGRAPHER AND I LOVE DIVING.

I'M VERY CONCERNED ABOUT PLASTIC IN THE OCEAN.

FOR MY "PLASTIC OCEAN" IMAGES.

I COLLECTED REAL PLASTIC TRASH FROM THE OCEAN, FROM

THE MEDITERRANEAN SEA, VERY CLOSE TO VENICE, ITALY.

SO FOUR OF US WENT DOWN THERE, COLLECTED ONLY ONE

HOUR ON THE BEACH AND WE HAD MORE THAN ENOUGH

PLASTIC TO DO ALL THESE 24 IMAGES.

AND THEN I HAD A POOL, LIKE A TANK.

I PLACED GIRLS AS WELL AS KIDS IN THIS PLASTIC AND

MADE LIKE IS STILL LIFE LIKE AN OLD CLASSIC STILL

LIFE AND SURROUNDED IN THE WATER IN THE TANK.

THE PLASTIC PIECES WE COLLECTED AROUND THE TALENTS.

SO THE REASON WHY I CAME TO KEY WEST AND HANG THE

ARTWORK IN KEY WEST ON THE VANDENBERG IS OF COURSE IT'S AN

OUTSTANDING SHIP WRECK AND ALSO A WONDERFUL DIVE DESTINATION.

AND FOR ME, I REALLY SEE IT AS A GALLERY.

"ALRIGHT LETS BRING YOU DONW"

WE BROUGHT THEM DOWN, ALL THE 24 IMAGES AND HANG

THEM WITH MAGNETS ON THE SIDE OF THE SHIPWRECK.

SO DURING THIS THREE MONTHS, WHILE THIS

EXHIBITION WAS ON THE WATER ON THE VANDENBERG,

MORE THAN 10,000 DIVERS HAD THE POSSIBILITY TO SEE THIS PROJECT.

AFTER THREE MONTHS, I CAME BACK AND WE BROUGHT THIS ARTWORK UP.

WE BROUGHT THEM ON LAND, WE CLEAR COAT THEM, THAT

ALL THE SEA LIFE GETS STABLE AND WILL NOT CRUMBLE.

NOW AFTER THESE IMAGES ARE CLEAR COATED, WE WILL SHOW

IT AGAIN AND WE WILL SHOW IT IN A GALLERY.

DURING THESE THREE MONTHS, THESE IMAGES CHANGED

BECAUSE THE GOOD THING OF THE SEA, THE SEA LIFE

BECOME A PART OF MY ARTWORK AND CONVERTED THEM.

SO I DO 50% THE OTHER 50% IS DOING BY THE SEA AND

AFTER THIS THREE MONTHS WHEN I'M BRINGING THEM UP,

THERE IS A LOT OF GROWTHS OF MICROORGANISMS AND IT

CHANGED THESE IMAGES AND MADE THEM UNIQUE.

ALSO, IF I WOULD DO IT A SECOND TIME, IT NEVER EVER

WOULD LOOK SIMILAR AND THAT IS FANTASTIC.

AND HERE, YOU CAN SEE HOW THE ARTWORK LOOKS BEFORE

AND HERE YOU CAN SEE THE DIFFERENCE.

SO WHAT YOU SEE HERE AND WHY I LOVE THIS SO MUCH TO

HANG THE ARTWORK UNDERWATER, IT'S LIKE THE WATER DRIPS IN,

IN THESE IMAGES AND CHANGE THE COLORS AND CREATES FRAMES

LIKE IN THE OLD TIMES WHEN WE HAD POLAROIDS.

I CALL IT AWARENESS CAMPAIGN.

AND THE REASON WHY I CAME UP WITH THIS, IT'S REALLY

SUCH A, ONE OF OUR BIGGEST PROBLEMS.

AND I LOVE THE OCEAN AND I HAD TO REALLY, THE FEELING

I HAVE TO DO SOMETHING.

YOU COULD CRY.

YOU SEE EVERY YEAR HOW THE SEA GETS WORSE AND WORSE,

THE NATURE DIES, AND YOU FIND PLASTIC EVERYWHERE.

BUT I FEEL THE MORE OFTEN THAT PEOPLE HEAR ABOUT

THIS AND SEE THIS, I FEEL, I HOPE IT WILL HELP A LITTLE BIT.

MARVELING AT THE STARS.

MY NAME IS TAIMUR KAHN.

I'M THE DIRECTOR OF THE WINTER STAR PARTY HERE IN

BIG PINE KEY.

AN ASTROPHOTOGRAPHER IS BASICALLY SOMEBODY WHO

POINTS A CAMERA UP TO THE SKY, TRACKS THE SKY AND

TAKES LONG EXPOSURES.

AND SOMETIMES THESE EXPOSURES, COULD LAST OVER SEVERAL DAYS.

SO WE MIGHT START AND TAKE 10-MINUTE EXPOSURES AND

TAKE A HUNDRED 10-MINUTE EXPOSURES IN ONE NIGHT AND

THEN CONTINUE IN ANOTHER NIGHT AND EVEN A THIRD NIGHT.

AND WE'LL TAKE ALL THESE IMAGES AND PUT THEM

TOGETHER TO GET A PHOTOGRAPH.

UH, AND THE PHOTOGRAPH WILL REVEAL THINGS THAT

YOU JUST CANNOT SEE WITH YOUR NAKED EYE LOOKING

THROUGH A TELESCOPE.

THE LIGHT IS SO DIM THAT IT TAKES HOURS OR EVEN

PERHAPS DAYS TO GATHER ALL THAT LIGHT TO MAKE THE IMAGE.

SO YOU CANNOT JUST SEE IT INSTANTLY WITH YOUR EYE.

WHEN I FIRST GOT INTO THE HOBBY, IT USED TO BE LIKE

LET ME SEE HOW MANY I CAN DO IN ONE NIGHT.

IT'S THE OTHER WAY AROUND.

I WOULD TRY TO DO THREE IMAGES IN ONE NIGHT.

BUT YOU DON'T GET A GOOD IMAGE, YOU GET VERY GRAINY,

NOISY IMAGES WHEN YOU DO THAT.

THE TRICK IS TO DO ONE OBJECT OVER THREE NIGHTS.

A FAVORITE IS THE ORION CONSTELLATION.

WHERE BELLATRIX IS THE IS THE HEAD OF ALFRED HITCHCOCK.

AND YOU'LL SEE AN ARC, WHICH IS CALLED BERNARD'S LOOP.

THAT IS THE STOMACH.

AND THEN HE, YOU HAVE AN ARM A VERY FAINT REDDISH

ARM AND BEETLEJUICE IS LIKE THE CIGAR THAT HE

TYPICALLY SMOKES.

SO THAT'S WHY WE CALL IT THE ALFRED HITCHCOCK NEBULA.

THIS IS OMEGA CENTAURI AND THIS ENTIRE CONSTELLATION.

THIS IS ONE OF THE LARGEST GLOBULAR CLUSTERS WITH

MILLIONS OF STARS IN IT.

DON'T KNOW EXACTLY HOW MANY MILLIONS, BUT THEY'RE SEVERAL

MILLION STARS IN THIS CLUSTER, ALL ORBITING EACH OTHER.

THE NEAT THING ABOUT IT, THEY SAY, SCIENTISTS SAY

IS THAT IF OUR SOLAR SYSTEM WAS INSIDE THAT

CLUSTER, IT WOULD NEVER BE DARK.

IT WOULD ALWAYS BE, THERE WILL ALWAYS BE LIGHTS.

AND IT'S A VERY INTERESTING CLUSTER.

EVERYBODY LOVES TO COME DOWN AND SEE IT BECAUSE

IT'S SO BIG AND LARGE, IT'S THE LARGEST ONE THAT

WE GET TO SEE.

THIS IS A GREAT PLACE TO HAVE A STAR PARTY.

WE HAVE A LOT OF PEOPLE COME DOWN, ABOUT 600

ASTRONOMERS THAT SET UP A TELESCOPE ON THE BEACHES.

BECAUSE ITS ONE OF THE SOUTHERN MOST PLACES WHERE

YOU CAN SEE OBJECTS THAT ARE BELOW 67 DEGREES

DECLINATION, WHICH BASICALLY MEANS WE CAN SEE

CERTAIN OBJECTS THAT YOU JUST CANNOT SEE ANYWHERE

ELSE IN THE CONTINENTAL UNITED STATES.

SO BECAUSE OF THAT, IT DRAWS A LOT OF PEOPLE DOWN

TO POINT THEIR TELESCOPES LOW IN THE HORIZON AND SEE

OBJECTS SUCH AS EDICARINA, WHICH IS ONE OF THE

LARGEST NEBULAS THAT ARE OUT THERE.

SO HERE AT THE WINTER STAR PARTY, YOU'LL NOTICE THAT

WE DON'T USE A REGULAR FLASHLIGHTS.

WE USE A RED FLASHLIGHT.

AND THE REASON WHY WE USE RED FLASHLIGHT IS BECAUSE

YOUR EYES GET DARK ADAPTED.

AND IT TAKES ROUGHLY 25 MINUTES FOR YOUR EYES TO

BE TRULY ADAPTED TO THE DARK.

YOU'RE AT THE MERCY OF THE WEATHER, YOU'RE AT THE

MERCY OF THE EQUIPMENT, YOU KNOW THINGS GO WRONG.

EVEN THE WIRES HANGING OFF THE SCOPE CAN CAUSE

TRAILING IN THE STARS CAUSE YOU'RE FOLLOWING THE STARS.

SO THE MOTION OF THE STARS GOING ACROSS, THIS NIGHT

SKY IS SO SMOOTH AND SO PRECISE THAT THERE'S

REALLY NOT MUCH MAN MADE MECHANICAL EQUIPMENT THAT

CAN ACCURATELY MOVE IN THE SAME WAY.

IT IS A FORM OF ART IN ITS OWN RIGHT, IN ITS OWN WAY.

BECAUSE DIFFERENT PEOPLE HAVE DIFFERENT WAYS OF

MANIPULATING THE DATA AND SHOWING THE PHOTOGRAPH OR

HOW THEY DO IT AND HOW THEY IMAGE IT.

AND EACH ONE IS A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT.

COLLECTING, CUTTING AND WELDING.

I'M CINDY WYNN,

I'VE BEEN MAKING FURNITURE FOR THE LAST 30 YEARS,

I BUILD FURNITURE OUT OF SCRAP METAL.

I HAVE PROBABLY ABOUT 200 TO 250,000 POUNDS OF SCRAP

METAL IN MY WELDING STUDIO.

THEN I, I HAVE AN IDEA OR THE SCRAP METAL GIVES ME

AN IDEA AND I GO OUT AND I START COLLECTING PARTS AND

I KEEP AT IT UNTIL I HAVE THE WHOLE DESIGN.

USUALLY I DESIGN ABOUT 10 TO 12 PIECES AT ONCE.

SO THERE'S PIECES OF PIECES AND PARTS

EVERYWHERE THAT I HAVE A FUTURE AS FURNITURE,

EITHER LAMPS, TABLES OR CHAIRS.

IT'S USUALLY WHAT I MAKE.

FURNITURE CAN BE ART.

IT'S NOT, YOU KNOW, THE FUNCTIONALITY, UH, PEOPLE

THINK, OH WELL IT'S, IF IT'S FUNCTIONAL, IT'S NOT ART.

BUT I, I REALLY THINK IT IS, BECAUSE IT CHANGES PEOPLE.

YOU KNOW, WHEN PEOPLE, JUST BECAUSE YOU CAN TOUCH

IT AND SIT ON IT, IT DOESN'T MEAN IT'S NOT ART.

I FIRST GOT STARTED IN COLLEGE.

I TOOK ALL THE BASIC CLASSES, DRAWING,

PAINTING, UM, AND THEN I GLOMMED ONTO CERAMICS FOR

ABOUT THREE YEARS, WHICH IS SIX SEMESTERS.

AT THE END OF, UH, THE SIXTH SEMESTER, OUR

CERAMICS TEACHER SAID, YOU GUYS GET ALL YOUR STUFF OUT OF HERE.

AND I THOUGHT, WELL, I'LL JUST TAKE A BREAK AND I'LL

TAKE SCULPTURE 2, WHICH WAS WELDING.

I LEARNED HOW TO WELD REALLY EASILY AND I WAS

FRUSTRATED BECAUSE THAT MADE ANYTHING CREATIVE.

SO I JUST MADE MY PARTNER A CHAIR AS A JOKE AND IT'S

LIKE MY BRAIN LIT ON FIRE.

AN IDEA CAN COME FROM THE MATERIALS, IT CAN COME

FROM MY HEAD AND THEN I SQUEEZED THE MATERIALS

INTO MY IDEA OR VICE VERSA.

BUT, UM, I STUDY ALL KINDS OF FURNITURE, ESPECIALLY

18TH CENTURY, 18TH CENTURY FURNITURE, HAS REALLY A

LOT OF AMAZING DETAILS.

I USE SOME GLASS, SOME WOOD, BUT MOSTLY IT'S ALL SCRAP METAL.

I GO OUT INTO EITHER IF I'M UP NORTH, I GO OUT

INTO A REAL SCRAP YARD OR IF I'M DOWN SOUTH HERE I

GO OUT INTO MY OWN SCRAP YARD AND I LOOK FOR PARTS.

I DO A LOT OF WELDING, A LOT OF CUTTING WITH A

GRINDING DISK AND UM, A LOT OF CUTTINGS OF TORCH.

AND THEN, UM, WELDING IS THE MOST FUN STEP.

AND THEN THE FINAL STEP IS TO PUT A FINAL COAT OF

LACQUER ON IT AND TAKE IT DOWN TO THE GALLERY.

THE GRINDING IS STILL ROUGH, BUT THE CUTTING, I

LOVE CUTTING, LOVE WELDING.

I LOVE PUTTING STUFF TOGETHER.

I LOVE THE HOT METAL.

UM, EVEN WHEN IT BURNS ME, I DON'T MIND, YOU KNOW.

I FEEL HAPPY.

I'M WORKING ON A NUMBER OF PROJECTS.

SO WHAT I'M GOING TO SHOW YOU TODAY IS THE END OF A,

IT'S A SERIES CALLED A WRENCH CHAIR AND I'VE

LEARNED A NEW THING ABOUT SPRING STEEL.

YOU CAN'T REALLY WELD IT, SO I CATCH IT IN A LITTLE CAGE.

SO THAT'S THE FINAL STEP ON THIS WRENCH CHAIR IS SO

IT'LL STILL HAVE MOVEMENT WITH THE SPRING, BUT IT

WON'T BE IN DANGER OF BREAKING.

MY MOST RECENT COMMISSION.

I DID THE HEADBOARD ON COMMISSION.

I HAVE FOUR PANELS TO CARVE, THE HEADBOARDS ALL

COMPLETE EXCEPT PUTTING IT TOGETHER AND CARVING THE

LAST THREE OUT OF THE FOUR WOOD PANELS.

AND FOR SPECULATIVE, I USUALLY DO PEDESTALS,

CONSOLE TABLES, END TABLES, A LOT OF CHAIRS,

CHAIRS, MY FAVORITE.

BECAUSE CHAIRS ARE REALLY WHERE I THINK THE ART IS

IN MY, MY WORK BECAUSE I MAKE THEM SO THAT PEOPLE

ARE VERY TREPIDATIOUS WHEN THEY SEE THEM.

AND THEN WHEN THEY SIT DOWN, I CAN SEE FOR AN

INSTANT EVERYTHING KIND OF EVAPORATES AND THEY'RE

BACK INTO A CHILDLIKE STATE AND THEY START

LAUGHING CAUSE IT MOVES AND IT'S COMFORTABLE.

AND IT'S USUALLY DOWN HERE IT'S HOT AND THE CHAIR'S COOL.

I JUST LIKED THAT, UM, MOMENT WHEN THEY, THEY

CHANGES THEIR PERCEPTION OF WHAT FURNITURE IS

ABOUT, YOU KNOW, IT MAKES THEM FEEL DIFFERENTLY

ABOUT FURNITURE AND THE WAY PEOPLE INTERACT WITH

FURNITURE CHANGES WHEN THEY SEE MY STUFF.

WONDEROUS, BIG AND SMALL... INSECTS.

>>JENNIFER ANGUS: MY NAME IS JENNIFER ANGUS AND I AM

AN ARTIST AND PROFESSOR AT THE UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN MADISON.

AT THE MFA ST. PETE'S, WE ARE INSTALLING MY

LARGEST EXHIBITION TO DATE,

"THE GRASSHOPPER AND THE ANT AND OTHER STORIES"

AND IT'S A MULTI ROOM OR MULTI GALLERY EXHIBITION

THAT REALLY EXPLORES NOT ONLY INSECTS, BUT OUR IDEAS OF WHAT

ART AND ARTISTS CONTRIBUTE TO OUR SOCIETY.

>>KRISTEN SHEPHERD: IT REALLY IS AN EXPERIENCE

THAT IS SITE SPECIFIC.

SO SHE CAME TO THE MUSEUM OF FINE ARTS TO LOOK AT

OUR SPACE AND WAS INSPIRED BY A WORK IN OUR

COLLECTION THAT WAS REALLY THE JUMPING OFF POINT FOR

THIS EXHIBITION.

SO WHEN THIS EXHIBITION COMES TOGETHER, IT'S

REALLY ONLY FOR THIS SPACE AND ONLY FOR THIS COMMUNITY.

SO THIS WILL BE THE ONLY TIME THAT IT'S AVAILABLE TO BE SEEN.

>>JENNIFER ANGUS: WHEN YOU ENTER THE EXHIBITION,

IT'LL PROBABLY BE A BIT SURPRISING BECAUSE IT'S

VERY DARK AND YOU WILL ENCOUNTER A PAINTING

THAT'S CALLED "THE GRASSHOPPER AND THE ANT."

QUITE SIMPLY, IT DEPICTS THE GRASSHOPPER AND THE

ANT, WHICH IS A STORY FROM AESOP'S FABLES.

I WASN'T FAMILIAR WITH THE STORY AND AS SOON AS I

READ IT, IT REALLY RAISED MY HACKLES BECAUSE IT WAS

OBVIOUS TO ME THAT THE GRASSHOPPER WAS AN ARTIST

AND THAT THESE ANTS WERE NOT APPRECIATING HIS EFFORT.

SO YOU'LL SEE THAT PAINTING WHEN YOU FIRST

WALK IN AND THEN IT'S LIKE GOING DOWN THE RABBIT HOLE

IN "ALICE IN WONDERLAND." IT IS A DARK ROOM.

AND ON YOUR RIGHT HAND SIDE,

YOU WILL SEE PRESERVES, JELLY PRESERVES.

BUT THEY'LL LOOK A LITTLE BIT LIKE,

OH, SPECIMENS IN FORMALDEHYDE.

IF YOU READ "ALICE IN WONDERLAND," YOU'LL RECALL

THAT SHE FALLS DOWN THE RABBIT HOLE, IT'S A LONG

TIME AND SHE ACTUALLY GETS A LITTLE BORED.

SHE GETS A LITTLE HUNGRY.

AND AT ONE POINT SHE REACHES OUT HER HAND AND SHE GRABS A

JAR AND IT'S A MARMALADE JAR, WHICH TURNS OUT TO BE EMPTY.

BUT THAT WAS REALLY SORT OF THE INSPIRATION.

THE HALLWAY GETS SMALLER AND SMALLER AND YOU'RE

SORT OF SPIT OUT INTO THE BIG GALLARY AND WHEN YOU

WALK INTO THE BIGGER ROOM, THE SCALE IS TREMENDOUS.

AND THE GOAL HERE IS TO REALLY MAKE YOU FEEL JUST

AS ALICE DID, ALICE SHRINKS AT ONE POINT, THAT

YOU HAVE SHRUNK, THAT YOU HAVE PERHAPS BECOME INSECT SIZE.

AND THEN FROM THERE, YOU COME INTO A LARGE, KIND OF

LONG, NARROW GALLERY, WHICH WE CALL THE CABINET OF CURIOSITIES.

THE DRAWERS ARE ALL FILLED.

THEY ARE TO BE EXPLORED.

THE MOST COMMON QUESTIONS I GET ASKED ARE, ARE THE INSECTS REAL?

ANSWER YES.

IS THIS THEIR NATURAL COLOR?

YES, WITH ONE EXCEPTION.

THERE ARE SOME SCARAB BEETLES, MAYBE HALF A

DOZEN THAT HAVE SOME GOLD LEAF APPLIED TO THEM.

ANOTHER QUESTION I GET ASKED IS, HAVE I COLLECTED

THE INSECTS MYSELF?

AND THE ANSWER IS NO.

THAT WOULD BE A WHOLE 'NOTHER JOB, 'NOTHER PROFESSION.

THE INSECTS COME FROM SPECIMEN DEALERS AND

PEOPLE ARE ALWAYS SURPRISED, YOU KNOW, YEAH,

I NEED TO GET IN TOUCH WITH MY DEALER, INSECT DEALER.

YEAH, THERE ARE SUCH PEOPLE THAT EXIST.

THEY SELL TO LARGE INSTITUTIONS, WHETHER IT

BE MUSEUMS OR UNIVERSITIES AND TO INDIVIDUAL COLLECTORS.

NOW, AN INDIVIDUAL COLLECTOR PROBABLY JUST

NEEDS TWO OF A SPECIES, MAYBE A FEW MORE IF

THERE'S SOME COLOR VARIATIONS.

OBVIOUSLY I NEED CONSIDERABLY MORE.

AND WHAT YOU SEE HERE IS PROBABLY I HAVEN'T DONE A

THOROUGH COUNT, BUT THERE'S PROBABLY ABOUT 5,000 INSECTS.

>>KRISTEN SHEPHERD: WHEN WE'RE KIDS, WE'RE

FASCINATED BY INSECTS.

AND IT'S ONLY WHEN WE BECOME YOUNG ADULTS THAT

WE'RE CONDITIONED TO FEAR INSECTS.

IT'S SOMETHING THAT IS REALLY IMPORTANT, I THINK,

FOR US TO EXAMINE AS ADULTS, BECAUSE INSECTS

ARE SO IMPORTANT FOR THE HEALTH OF OUR PLANET.

THEY DO SO MUCH WORK AND IN FACT, WITHOUT THEM,

HUMANS WOULDN'T SURVIVE.

REMEMBER THAT IN A LOT OF CHILDREN'S LITERATURE,

INSECTS ARE THESE BENEVOLENT AND HELPFUL

CREATURES OFTEN, THINK OF EVERYTHING FROM

"CHARLOTTE'S WEB" TO "ALICE IN WONDERLAND." WE

OFTEN LOSE THAT SENSE OF WONDER AND MY HOPE IS THAT

A SHOW LIKE THIS MAY HELP US ALL REDISCOVER THE

WONDER AND BEAUTY AND IMPORTANCE OF INSECTS TO OUR PLANET.

>>JENNIFER ANGUS: I REALLY HAD VERY LITTLE INTEREST

IN INSECTS AS A CHILD, BUT MY INTEREST REALLY GREW

WHEN I WAS DOING RESEARCH IN NORTHERN THAILAND.

MY BACKGROUND IS IN TEXTILES, TEXTILE DESIGN,

AND I WAS PHOTO-DOCUMENTING THESE

TRADITIONAL COSTUME AND I CAME UPON A GARMENT AND A

SHAWL ACTUALLY THAT HAD A FRINGE AND ON THE FRINGE

WERE STRUNG GREEN METALLIC BEETLE WINGS.

SO REALLY, THESE ARE NATURE'S SEQUINS AND IT

MAKES TOTAL SENSE TO JUST USE WHAT'S IN YOUR BACKYARD.

AND FOR ME, THAT'S WHAT STARTED THINGS.

BUT I WOULD SAY NOWADAYS I'M MUCH MORE INTERESTED

IN THE OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE A PLATFORM TO LET PEOPLE

KNOW HOW IMPORTANT INSECTS ARE TO OUR, OUR ENVIRONMENT.

>>KRISTEN SHEPHERD: WE HAVE A TERRIFIC TEAM IN

PUBLIC PROGRAMS CREATING OPPORTUNITIES BOTH FOR

YOUNG PEOPLE AND FOR ADULTS, FOR SCHOOL AGED CHILDREN.

THERE ARE CAMPS GOING ON, THERE ARE BOOK CLUBS MEETING.

THERE'S EVEN A GOURMET DINNER, A GOURMET DINNER WITH

BROOKLYN BUGS, AND IT SHOULD BE A VERY INTERESTING OPPORTUNITY.

YUM.

>>JENNIFER ANGUS: MY GOAL FOR PEOPLE COMING TO THIS EXHIBITION

IS TO LEAVE THINKING ABOUT INSECTS IN A DIFFERENT WAY.

TO VIEW THIS AND OTHER COLORES PROGRAMS GO TO:

NEW MEXICO PBS DOT ORG AND LOOK FOR COLORES UNDER

WHAT WE DO AND LOCAL PRODUCTIONS.

ALSO, LOOK FOR US ON FACEBOOK AND INSTAGRAM.

"UNTIL NEXT WEEK, THANK YOU FOR WATCHING."

FUNDING FOR COLORES WAS PROVIDED IN PART BY:

FREDERICK HAMMERSLEY FOUNDATION...

...NEW MEXICO ARTS, A DIVISION OF THE DEPARTMENT

AND BY THE NATIONAL ENDOWMENT FOR THE ARTS.

...AND VIEWERS LIKE YOU