Insect Love (Bathurst copper purple butterflies)
$950
The Bathurst Copper Purple Butterflies are an endangered species living in the Greater Blue Mountains. Their habitat is restricted to places above 900 meters between the Blue Mountains and Bathurst. Habitat destruction, climate change and bush fires are major threats to the species.
It has a symbiotic relationship with a species of ants who raise the butterfly pupae. The ants take the grub from their nest to feed on native Blackthorn bushes and protect it from predators. The butterfly pupae produces a sticky sweet yet nutritious secretion which the ants snack on. My artwork shows my love of the insect world and mutualistic relationships in nature.
Tim K Jones – Mount Victoria based multimedia artist whose practice explores concepts focusing on perception, technology, humanity and nature. My artwork aims to create evocative spaces using a 2.5D relief sculpture layering technique.
My formal studies include a Bachelor of Arts (Fine Art) and Post-graduate Dip Ed (Art & English) from Curtin University. Exhibiting since 1981 my work has been accepted for numerous group exhibitions including the Rick Amor Drawing Prize, National Art Gallery of Ballarat; Gallipoli Art Prize, Gascoyne Arts Prize (2021 runner up) and Blue Mountains City Art Gallery.
In 2016 I held solo exhibitions at GalleryONE88 before becoming a partner in the Gallery Blackheath, an artist run cooperative – now closed due to COVID. As a longstanding committee member (former President) of the Mount Victoria Museum, I’ve helped stage and participated in several successful collaborative exhibitions with leading Blue Mountains contemporary art groups (Birdland2 with SLAB cooperative and Black & Blue 2 Blume Illustrated at BM Cultural Centre).
Through the museum, I’ve successfully developed/project led several exhibitions including the award winning (MG&NSW Highly Commended) 150th of Railway to Mount Victoria. For the Mt Vic 150th I produced an animated historic photo projection and an oral history touchscreen system. Pop up 150th railway exhibitions for Bowenfels (Lithgow) and Blackheath were also successfully staged. My design work included graphic files for large format print banners, one of which is permanently displayed at Blackheath railway station.
As an active management committee member of the Blue Mountains Creative Arts Network, performing the company secretary role (former acting treasurer), I have experience with the logistics for developing and producing group art projects. BMCAN aims to encourage the building of a stronger arts community across the Greater Blue Mountains by fostering member driven initiatives and building partnerships with other arts organisations and businesses.