Peter Naktin

My work includes three instances of realistically-rendered insects, arranged in a triptych. Two of the specimens I rendered are familiar to me, and one is very new. All three of them are invasive species. I was prompted to enhance and enlarge invasive species through a painting, and I was particularly interested in that idea as it related to the notion of shifting baselines. Shifting baselines refers to a scientific concept in which individuals and communities experience a limited perception of environmental degradation that is set by an upper bound, or baseline, that is formed during early memories in childhood. Older individuals or more rural communities, for instance, have a greater acute awareness of environmental degradation (eg. declining populations of a particular bird species) than other people; moreover, our societal awareness of this change is constrained by our failure to reach beyond to a point before our consciousness - collective or not. The paintings with the Japanese beetle and brown marmorated stink bug are not as striking to me because they were introduced in the early 20th century; they were around since I was a child. The spotted lanternfly, introduced in 2014, invokes a stronger 'disgust' reaction because many of us in eastern PA are aware of the insect's consequences to our local environment. This insect has been incredibly prominent in my 2020 quarantine experience, and I have spent much time over the summer and fall squashing any I can find. I cannot help but think how invasive species relate to even the 2020 coronavirus pandemic. As climate change and habitat loss worsen, humanity will find itself exposed to greater numbers of wild pathogens that have the potential to devastate our society much like our moment in 2020.