A new exhibit by Jose Angel Castro at Loiter Galleries in Long Beach uses live cocoons and butterflies as an analogy for transformation during the pandemic.
“I wanted to invite people to be still for a little bit,” Castro said. “This work came out of the pandemic, came out of a way for me to cope during lockdown which was to sit and foster butterflies. And that gave me insight into what it is to be still, gave me insight into the dynamics of these really beautiful systems that happen and these transformations that happen.”
The metamorphosis from cocoon to butterfly represents the transformation society and the individuals living in it underwent during the pandemic.
“Something goes into its chrysalis stage one thing and it comes out something completely different. And I think that is an analogy, a metaphor for what we’re going through now as humanity,” Castro said.
During lockdown, Castro had more time to foster chrysalis and butterflies, something he has been doing since 2017. The process, he said, allows him to “witness little miracles.”
The caterpillars for the exhibit were purchased from a company that usually sells them to schools for educational purposes.
“We like it because it’s so multi-layered and informational,” said Loiter Galleries co-founder Monica Fleming. “It’s a good educational opportunity so we can have more kids in the gallery learning about nature.”
The exhibit includes monarch and swallowtail butterflies, which are kept in an enclosure where they can be viewed for a maximum of three days after emerging from their chrysalises.
“You can go in the gallery one day, and they’ll be cocooned and you can come back about three days later, and there will actually be butterflies flying around in there. So it’s just truly fascinating,” Fleming said.
Beside the cocoons and butterflies, the exhibit also includes photography and paintings. Castro often creates his paintings while doing Tai Chi, a practice he calls “kinetic painting.”
Castro worked closely with two other artists, co-curators Brandie Lachelle Davison and Rejeana Black, to put together the exhibit, titled “Chrysaline.” Castro refers to the three of them as “the tripod” because “the show doesn’t stand without all three legs.”
“Chrysaline” can be viewed at Loiter Galleries, located at 425 the Promenade N, Thursday to Saturday from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. and Sunday from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.