The Ant Farm

Two years ago I asked 100 people to censor their own nude image. One year ago I had 70 people connect themselves with a single red rope. Most recently, I asked 100 people to populate the Ant Farm.

Hey, why is this blurred? See the text.

When finished, the Ant Farm will represent a structure 30 feet high and 40 feet wide. It will be made of 100 rectangular boxes, divided roughly 50/50 between horizontal and vertical. In each box is a single person. Some appear to be isolated from everyone else; some chose to acknowledge or interact with their neighbors. The exact pose was up to that person and affects the overall mood and tone of the finished piece. Who knows, when it’s all done I may decide that the name Ant Farm is no longer valid and call it something completely different.

Update: Hey, the photo is blurred! As the Ant Farm nears completion I’m making the project a bit more private. The unblurred image was here for the purpose of enticing new models to participate; now that the photography is wrapping up it’s not longer needed for that purpose. I’ll post an archival version of the project after it has had its public debut in June 2012. For a recap of the project, see this blog post.

What’s Next for the Ant Farm

In early February 2012 I finished photography for the project, having run 100 people through my basement studio over the previous three months. Attention now turns to fine-tuning the photos and compositing them into the finished piece. I’m also contemplating a someone complex construction process because it seems like I never take the easy route.

The Ant Farm will be displayed at the 2012 Seattle Erotic Art Festival, which takes place in June 2012.