Flashy Betta

oil paint and LED lightbars with motion detector switch on wood
Click this link to see photos of this painting with the lights on and in the show it was featured in: advancedvoyeurism.tumblr.com/p…

This painting is a part of the VISUAL-eyes-SEX show in the Student Life Gallery at Mass Art. The show goes from April 27th - May 3rd.

Artist’s Statement posted with piece:
This painting depicts a male betta fish, Betta splendens, during one of the initial stages of courtship. Despite being between two and three inches long, Betta fish are very aggressive and will attack one another if the proper steps are not taken before mating. When a female approaches a male and his bubble nest, she darkens the colors of her body and the male will respond by “flashing” his colors, meaning his coloration becomes much more brilliant. The “eye” in this painting is a motion detector switch which turns on the LED lightbars when the painting is approached simulating the male’s response to a potential mate.