Finding the Light: The Inspiration Behind The Moth Project
By Lexi Davis
We have seen the news. We have heard of natural disasters, the destruction of the environment, and how we have reached a point beyond return. It seems hopeless to try and save our planet. Yet in that dark room we all feel trapped in, a glimmer of light shines out from the bottom of the door frame. We only need to find a new way to reach it.
Peter Kiesewalter offers a new path to the light in The Moth Project, a production described as “a parallel journey of moths and humans.” The project features music “from Back to Joni Mitchell to KISS to original songs” that aim to combine macro photography, videography, and visuals of moths with spoken word drawing from science, mythology, and family stories in an effort to reflect “the incredible diversity of the moth species and explores the common themes between us and them - migration, seduction, death, transformation, hope.”
When “the science community has been screaming at the top of their lungs for people to listen, and no one ever does,” Kiesewalter says it becomes time to find a new multidisciplinary approach to get people’s attention. The Moth Project is a prime example of that interdisciplinary approach. By combining a wide variety of music, videos, and images, Kieswalter gives us a brilliant look into nature that tells us we must preserve our planet not just for what it gives us but for the beauty it brings into our lives.
I was fortunate enough to talk with Kiesewalter before The Moth Project event that took place at the O’Shaughnessy, where he explained to me where his inspiration came from. He pointed me toward one book in particular that seemed to create a desire within him to develop a more interdisciplinary approach to his work. This book was Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer, an Indigenous poet and botany professor in upstate New York. He told me, “When I read the line from the book that said, ‘What can I repay the earth for the privilege of breath?’ I just about lost it. I had never thought that way.” The gorgeous exploration of nature and how we can preserve it touched Kiesewalter in a way that spurred him to action. He found that his way of repaying the earth was creating a transformative work of art, which came to be known as The Moth Project.
Kiesewalter’s inspiration was foundational in creating one of the most moving pieces that intersect art and science. Its impact on the audience was evident. The Moth Project’s range of music was enticing and kept the audience on their toes. There were constant “ooo’s” and “ahh’s” from the crowd throughout the event as brilliant images of different moth species were projected onto a large screen. Kiesewalter and his partner wore white body suits to blend into the projections, as moths do. By the end, it was apparent that Kiesewalter’s work had touched the hearts of many. Some people seemed teary-eyed, and others I spoke to felt moved to become more involved in caring for nature on our campus. It was an eye-opening experience that transformed many people’s perspective of our planet.
Kiesewalter’s work is evidence that we need to find ways to center the natural world in all disciplines and seek out the beauties of nature. He has touched hearts and minds in ways that we all should strive to do. While Robin Wall Kimmerer was Kiesewalter’s inspiration, let us find inspiration from Kiesewalter’s work as well. If you have the opportunity, explore The Moth Project. Adopt environmental advocacy in whatever field of study you are in. Once we can all collectively come together to find ways to appreciate and repay the earth as Kiesewalter did, we will then escape our dark room of hopelessness and find the light we have been searching for.
