Ways of Seeing
2024

Black Widow silk, metal, vinyl 

In the Realm of Spiders Exhibition 

Ojai Valley Museum 
Ojai, CA

image credit: Mikael Jorgensen

In the early 1600s, as astronomers began to explore the potential of telescopes, a spider fortuitously spun their web across a telescope's field of vision, creating a delicate, clear line. This unexpected encounter birthed the crosshair, a vital tool for precision in measurement and observation. The silk’s strength and elasticity have since permeated fields of astronomy, medicine, and weaponry used in the development of telescopes, microscopes, and telescopic rifle sights. This intricate entanglement of species highlights spiders as natural weavers who shape our understanding of the micro and macro worlds. The spider has woven themselves into profound narratives that influence our perceptions of the world and beyond.