Butterfly Drones II Sculpture

Unmanned combat drones, like the new Northrop Grumman X-47B, are the pinnacle of technological innovation. Historically, technological innovations have been rapidly translated into new military systems: the crossbow, gun powder, the internet, nuclear energy and now fully autonomous flying killing machines. The weaponization of technology is at the core of the piece “Butterfly Drones”. The outlines of contemporary aerial weapon systems were first traced and then cut in 10 gage steel with a CNC plasma cutter. In the next step the edges were weaponized, made razor sharp, thus converting a line drawing into an archaic new weapon system. Shuriken, like drones, are stealth weapons, designed to distract not defeat an enemy. The “Drone Shuriken” are mounted with pins in a cherry wood display, very much like butterfly collectors would display the rare specimens they caught with their nets and later preserved using formaldehyde. The “Batarang” Shuriken is a humorous reference to superhero pop culture and reflects on concepts such as “Superpower”, as does the weaponized star.

Sculpture:Textile on Glass

Original:One-of-a-kind Artwork

Size:30.7 W x 20.9 H x 3.1 D in

Delivery Time:Typically 5-7 business days for domestic shipments, 10-14 business days for international shipments.