Death Spiral

Mara Popa ‘26

What inspired this piece?

This piece was inspired by the army ant death spiral. It is a natural phenomenon in which the path of an ant colony is intercepted and forces the crowd to walk in a revolving circle until they perish. I reference the composition of Henri Matisse’s “The Dance” to create a connection between the interacting figures. My portfolio explores the human gender hierarchy through nonhuman societies, and this piece uses this biological phenomenon to reference the inescapable nature of the hierarchy.

What does each element of the photo symbolize?

The figure approaching the audience has broken out of the spiral behind her. She joins a pair of other escapers, who dance in a circle to await her. The ghostly outline positions the approacher into her destiny; despite escaping the death spiral, another is in her future. Educating oneself about gendered socialization and its universal impact on everyday interaction will not free someone from living within those bounds.

What does your artistic process look like?

My portfolio combines social and biological themes, and I enjoy researching how I would like to represent them through various insect behaviors. Once I begin a composition, my mom is my favorite pose model. I create a detailed color plan before painting, but I leave room for spontaneity in rendering.

How do you want this piece to impact others?

I would like any painting I make to feel immersive. I would hope that the surrealism in this piece guides the viewer into closer observation and prompts questions as well as answers. In all, my message is about individuality— its values, its challenges, and how they interact with each other.

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