This phenomenal photographic collection shows the exquisite variations of a tiny, exotic Australian spider, each image comprised of more than a thousand individual photos working together to reveal stunning nuances of color and form in incredible detail.
Maria Fernanda Cardoso’s subject is the tiny Australian Maratus spider – measuring less than 5mm in size – and their unique, brightly-coloured abdomens, which form part of their elaborate mating rituals. Across a suite of large-scale photographs, the exquisite multi-coloured patterns of various species of Maratus are presented as individual portraits.
Produced in collaboration with scientific imager Geoff Thompson and entomologist Andy Wang from the Queensland Museum, each image is comprised of over 1000 individual photos, which together reveal stunning nuances of colour and form in incredible detail.
The highly visual eight-eyed jumping spider is known by the common name ‘peacock spider.’ Like peacocks and birds of paradise, the male Maratus has developed a complex system of courtship display that exhibits its prowess as a dancer, musician and visual artist.
Maria Fernanda Cardoso’s project includes an immersive video presentation showing the complex courtship ritual of the Maratus. In it, she showcases the spiders’ sophisticated communication through dance and vibration, culminating in the display of their colourful patterned abdominal flap. (The museum’s video, below, features some of that footage.)
Bringing together science, art and nature, this travelling exhibition curated by the Museum of Contemporary Art Australia celebrates the beauty of the natural world and reveals the sophisticated lives of creatures not usually witnessed.
Museum of Contemporary Art Australia Travelling Exhibition page, here.
Maria Fernanda Cardoso’s website, here.
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This is amazing. Thank you, have a Lovely Day, Love, nia
I love these, and did not know they were real. We went to a zoo light show a couple of years ago in Seattle and one of the displays was a huge spider all lit up, I thought it was just fantasy but it looked a lot like the bright orange one in your photo, hmm, maybe it was meant to be more accurate than I thought. Love spiders so this is fun.