The Sporozoan Swarm is a modular work of art, made up of torn and cut Intaglio and Lithographic prints combined with drawing, with a projected 500,000 components. These components break down from The Swarm into many small clusters and migrate around the world. The Swarms component structure allows it to ebb and flow through spaces in a fluid way, wrapping around doorways and shifting through corners: it suggests the fluid dynamics of life. Small Clusters of The Swarm are installed in places that are not typically seen as “art viewing spaces,” allowing the greatest number of viewers the space to commune with the piece, free of sterile pretense, or limited access. This way of viewing makes the work become more a part of the viewer’s multifaceted memory, rather than a one-dimensional ornament. 

A great deal of site specific or time limited work relies on photography to allow viewers to witness and “own” the art. With The Sporozoan Swarm, the owner of the work or “The Keeper” of a Cluster becomes part of the larger whole of the interconnected world-wide installation. And while viewers are able to see photographs of my installations all over the world, providing a macro perspective, they are also able to install a piece of the whole on their wall using their own aesthetic, their own voice.

These Keepers become aesthetic partners when they decide how Clusters or individual pieces of The Swarm should be displayed. The Keepers physically touch, interact with, and hang the same pieces that I have printed, torn and drawn, contributing to the evolution of the whole. By handling the work they make it a less precious, more tangible, common grounded thing. The element of many small pieces available to people all over the world connects The Keepers to me and to the large-scale public installations of The Swarm I create. The Sporozoan Swarm acts as a binder of all of its Clusters and Keepers by connecting them through its on-line locating map and its serendipitous collective experience.

Art can change our world. Just let it be a part of your life.

The Sporozoan Swarm is not simply bunches of pieces going out to individuals. It is one large piece being Kept by assorted individuals. The map above shows locations of The Swarm. I will update this map once a week until the whole Swarm has proliferated. With my ultimate goal being a population of 50,000 for The Swarm I suspect to be updating the map for quite some time. To be a part of The Swarm check my Etsy shop and watch for Swarm give a way’s here.

Lets go readers spread the word of The Swarm. Tell a friend to check out printtroll.

detail7, originally uploaded by printtroll.

I love the look of graphite on top of Intaglio ink. It almost feels suspended on the surface.

Swarm, originally uploaded by printtroll.

The Swarm is one large piece. It is constantly growing as I create more of its pieces. I haven’t definitively decided on an ending point, with regard to its numbers. I am thinking somewhere around 50,000. Each individual Swarm is connected to the larger piece and each Keeper of a piece of The Swarm is connected to all other Keepers through it. I have created a map so that all Keepers can see where the rest of The Swarm is. Because of its modular nature a Keeper is not limited to any certain size Swarm. They can vary from a Minuscule Swarm to a Swarm that infests a whole wall. And The Swarm can grow over time with a Keeper adding to her/his Swarm as they see fit.

Art can change our world. Just let it be a part of your life.

Minuscule Sporozoan Swarm., originally uploaded by printtroll.

The Swarm is pushing past my existing world. Today saw the first person I am not familiar with become a Keeper of a Swarm: a woman in NYC who saw The Swarm on Design for Mankind. Check out The Swarms proliferation here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/printtroll/map/ and check out my shop.