Carlos Amorales: Black Cloud is on loan from the Diane and Bruce Halle Collection.
Artist Carlos Amorales’ installation Black Cloud is his way of saying goodbye. The Mexico City-based artist has described the massive artwork as a farewell to his grandmother. He’s done so through 25,000 black paper moths and butterflies depicting 30 species that cover multiple walls and ceilings, reaching great heights.
“I was conscious that my visit would be the last time that I will see her alive,” he explained of Black Cloud‘s provenance, “so it was an intense emotional moment. The image of a large space with vaults, covered with black moths, appeared suddenly while I was trying to fall asleep and I felt I had to create that image as soon as possible in my studio. At the time I was not conscious of its symbolic significance; it was something that happened spontaneously and intuitively.”
Now on view at the Phoenix Art Museum, the multi-space Black Cloud covers the walls in swarms of tiny paper cutouts. The creatures are arranged in ways that we’d see them flittering in real life, which references another inspiration for the series: the annual migration of monarch butterflies from Canada to Mexico.
There’s a seemingly conflicting dichotomy inherent in Black Cloud. At once, the piece inspires a sense of awe; it envelops us as it enters all lines of sight and reminds us of the wondrous beauty we experience when seeing a moth or butterfly in the wild. But at the same time, there’s a sadness to the piece; it’s a work of goodbye and grief. In Amorales’ world, however, the two aren’t separated. They exist alongside each other—just like in real life.
“We’ve been fans of artist Carlos Amorales for over a decade here at My Modern Met,” says Eugene Kim, editor-in-chief of My Modern Met, who was in Phoenix during M3F Fest—a music and arts festival that gives back—and had the opportunity to visit cultural sites like the Phoenix Art Museum with the support of Visit Phoenix. “To be able to see his extensive work in person was a sight to behold. Walking into the corridors of Phoenix Art Museum, one of my personal favorite museums, it was the first installation that I saw. I stood there in awe, contemplating how many butterflies covered the walls and ceiling, and how long it would take to put up and take down. It looked amazing, with each butterfly meticulously placed, and it’s a testament to Amorales’ dedication and execution of his craft.”
Artist Carlos Amorales’ installation Black Cloud is his way of saying goodbye.
Carlos Amorales: Black Cloud is on loan from the Diane and Bruce Halle Collection.
The Mexico City-based artist has described the massive artwork as a farewell to his grandmother.
Carlos Amorales: Black Cloud is on loan from the Diane and Bruce Halle Collection.
He’s done so through 25,000 black paper moths and butterflies depicting 30 species that cover multiple walls and reach great heights.
Carlos Amorales: Black Cloud is on loan from the Diane and Bruce Halle Collection.
Now on view at the Phoenix Art Museum, the multi-space Black Cloud covers the walls in swarms of tiny paper cutouts.
Carlos Amorales: Black Cloud is on loan from the Diane and Bruce Halle Collection.
The paper art installation envelops us as it enters all lines of sight.
Carlos Amorales: Black Cloud is on loan from the Diane and Bruce Halle Collection.
Carlos Amorales: Black Cloud is on loan from the Diane and Bruce Halle Collection.