Kiwa Rave
In a painting entitled Kiwa Rave, artist Lily Simonson humanizes the second species of yeti crab, Kiwa puravida, discovered by Scripps Institution of Oceanography at UC San Diego former student Andrew Thurber. Though very similar to the first species, Kiwa hirsute, these crabs are smaller, and appear to be constantly dancing. “In his dissertation, Andrew suggests that they have bacteria living in their setae that convert the chemical gases seeping from under the ocean floor into energy for the crab – chemosythesis,” said Lily. “The crabs may be stirring up the gas with their dance, attempting to circulate it toward the bacteria that live on their furry pincers.”
“Puravida is a Costa Rican expression literally meaning "pure life" but figuratively it means lover of life, or full of life--so Kiwa puravida, the name chosen by Andrew, captures their lively, festive dancing behavior.”
According to Lily, painting is not a static medium. The task of capturing movement in a painting is an exciting challenge, she said. “In my paintings of Kiwa puravida, I try to reflect this dancing behavior by evoking celebratory atmosphere with the colors, background, and light. Thanks to Lisa Levin, Greg Rouse, Harim Cha and the Scripps Invertebrates Collection, I was able to borrow my own Kiwa puravida specimen. Observing the yeti crab as I painted in the studio transformed my process and enable me to explore the organism in endless detail.”
The portrait is 48 x 36 inches, and will be featured in Lily’s upcoming art exhibit at the CB1 Gallery in Los Angeles, opening June 17, 2012 and ending July 29, 2012.
Kiwa Rave
In a painting entitled Kiwa Rave, artist Lily Simonson humanizes the second species of yeti crab, Kiwa puravida, discovered by Scripps Institution of Oceanography at UC San Diego former student Andrew Thurber. Though very similar to the first species, Kiwa hirsute, these crabs are smaller, and appear to be constantly dancing. “In his dissertation, Andrew suggests that they have bacteria living in their setae that convert the chemical gases seeping from under the ocean floor into energy for the crab – chemosythesis,” said Lily. “The crabs may be stirring up the gas with their dance, attempting to circulate it toward the bacteria that live on their furry pincers.”
“Puravida is a Costa Rican expression literally meaning "pure life" but figuratively it means lover of life, or full of life--so Kiwa puravida, the name chosen by Andrew, captures their lively, festive dancing behavior.”
According to Lily, painting is not a static medium. The task of capturing movement in a painting is an exciting challenge, she said. “In my paintings of Kiwa puravida, I try to reflect this dancing behavior by evoking celebratory atmosphere with the colors, background, and light. Thanks to Lisa Levin, Greg Rouse, Harim Cha and the Scripps Invertebrates Collection, I was able to borrow my own Kiwa puravida specimen. Observing the yeti crab as I painted in the studio transformed my process and enable me to explore the organism in endless detail.”
The portrait is 48 x 36 inches, and will be featured in Lily’s upcoming art exhibit at the CB1 Gallery in Los Angeles, opening June 17, 2012 and ending July 29, 2012.