Monarch

Site Specific Glass Installation

North Scottsdale, Arizona

A collaboration with Bullseye Studio

Kilnformed Glass 3’ x 15’

Monarch blends the worlds of art, architecture, science, and spirituality.

The Monarch butterfly represents a journey and ultimate transformation. The butterfly effect is vibrational, as is the natural world to the human world. Ephemeral qualities of the reflective glass provide a shift in perspective and the acceptance of constant change and adaptation.

Through the rectangular "windows", the viewer sees a Monarch wing under a microscope with the sky and icy mountain peaks in the distance. The orange scales of the wings, are stacked like shingles on a roof and create a balance of fire and ice. As you take a step back, there are clusters of Monarchs hanging in the mountains as they overwinter. Stepping further back, you are looking at a singular Monarch hugging the corner and flying away through the valley. 

The Monarch migration pattern is being disrupted by the swings in temperature as they attempt to fly north to south for the winter and then from south to north in the spring. As temperatures and storms continue to become more erratic, the Monarch’s struggle to maintain their natural flight patterns and their means to survive as the species is being challenged.

Monarch is a reminder that the only constant is change. It is a space to reflect, recognize the power of resilience, and appreciate the complexity of the natural world.

Aesthetic and Conceptual Notes from Artist, Amy Johnson, 8.16.21

I became interested in migration by way of personal experience and my own challenges moving from place to place. Movement, transition, any disruption of routine requires adaptation. Migration is not only an issue for people in our modern day, it is also of great concern to our natural world. I have used my own personal experience to reflect on animals, birds, insects and wonder how they are adapting.

I chose glass for a few reasons. The first being a gut response to the space. The  surrounding architecture is floor to ceiling glass. There is a reflection and view everywhere. That said, in contrast, there are also several "slivers" of windows around the property, giving a very detailed view. To me, these "slivers" of the landscape are most interesting. They frame a view that would not normally be framed by one's eye and create an artwork all to its own. It was this idea that led me to the design of the rectangular, panoramic shape of the glass panels. Although the glass panels will not be functioning windows, I still view them as windows, portals into a different landscape.

I also chose glass because of its reflective and seductive nature. I am interested in things that are jaw dropping beautiful, and so desired, yet, the reality of the object, or idea at hand is devastating, even ugly. It is this contrast that is most important. 

I am interested in beauty of the natural world, in this case, how special seeing a Monarch can be- and how fragile, delicate it is, yet the reality of their livelihood is gruesome and dark. My intent is to represent these dark realities in a beautiful and seductive way so that this tension is recognized with thought and conversation. 

The color palette is an interpretation of the desert sky, the surrounding mountains, a chilling ice shelf and the monarchs themselves. The composition of the Monarchs is a nod to Le Corbusier and the contribution of the butterfly roof to architecture.