We are always interested in visually striking works of art which compares and contrasts the natural and the artificial. Emergent Behavior, an ongoing series by Brooklyn artist Thomas Jackson does just that. Using nearly invisible monofilaments, Jackson suspends consumer materials — from plastic plates and post-it notes to cheese balls and glow sticks — in dimly lit natural landscapes. The clusters of objects are inspired by nature, yet have no business being found where they are.
Writes Jackson:
The hovering installations featured in this ongoing series of photographs are inspired by self-organizing, “emergent” systems in nature such as termite mounds, swarming locusts, schooling fish and flocking birds.
After years spent perfecting his technique, Jackson now needs no digital trickery to pull off the seemingly impossible images. Apart from basic color and contrast adjustments in Photoshop, what you see is the real deal.
