Bug in the Works

Jen Lewin wants you to touch the art. Without your input, after all, her work would fail. A nationally known artist with her hands in a plethora of cutting-edge disciplines, she's created all manner of computer-driven gizmos and things of beauty, from laser harps (created for Burning Man throngs to...

By Susan Froyd

January 24, 2008

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Jen Lewin wants you to touch the art. Without your input, after all, her work would fail. A nationally known artist with her hands in a plethora of cutting-edge disciplines, she's created all manner of computer-driven gizmos and things of beauty, from laser harps (created for Burning Man throngs to play in the desert) to the imaginative lighting in her husband Kimbal Musk's renowned Kitchen restaurant, not to mention a monumental silk-and-metal interactive butterfly -- and now, three giant moths that move and also respond to human touch.

And what happens when you touch the MOTH moths? They sense your touch electronically and begin to flap their eight-foot silken wings: the longer you touch, the more powerful the movement. A fitting personification of the forward-looking spirit of the University of Colorado at Boulder's ultra-modern ATLAS Center for Arts, Media and Performance, where they're currently on view (and ready to be touched), the massive moths will flutter in the lobby through February 15. In addition, Lewin will give a free lecture on February 1 at 3 p.m. in ATLAS's Cofrin Auditorium, and a Valentine's Day MOTH Celebration, with music and refreshments, will take place at 4:30 p.m. February 14.

ATLAS is on campus, at 1125 18th Street in Boulder; for more information, log on to www.colorado.edu/atlas.
Jan. 15-Feb. 15, 2008

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Susan Froyd started writing for Westword as the "Thrills" editor in 1992 and never quite left the fold. These days she still freelances for the paper in addition to walking her dogs, enjoying cheap ethnic food and reading voraciously. Sometimes she writes poetry.

Contact: Susan Froyd

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