In recent years I have increasingly noticed the daddy long leg spiders that live within my home. United by a domestic context this intimate cohabitation has presented an opportunity to reconsider my own existence in relation to other non-human lives lived in parallel to mine. Reflecting on observations, encounters and interactions, home has become defined as much by the spiders’ presence as my own.
In this particular instance I have chosen to represent these spiders by emphasising their spindly, drawn-out appearance and increasing their scale to mirror a more human size – a formal inference of an equality of sorts from an ecological perspective. While grouping them together alludes appropriately to a sense of community as daddy long legs frequently live peacefully in groups, a rarity in the arachnid world. Bright colours and pattern add a light hearted dimension – a playfulness that belies their role as efficient predators. This Cirque du Soleil-like exuberance is appropriate, complimenting them on their acrobatic skills when traversing near invisible stands of silk.
