Bugs crawling up the walls are the stuff of nightmares for many, but they become stunning art in the hands of Jennifer Angus. A professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Angus has for years used real, dead insects as her primary artistic medium. Her compositions, which are usually pinned to gallery walls, often refer to Victorian decorative motifs, which in turn recall the insect-collecting habits of 19th century naturalists.
Like them, she gathers her insects from around the world, particularly Thailand and Malaysia. While she notes that none of the insects she uses in her work are endangered species, she hopes that her art will spur an interest in both entomology and rainforest preservation in her audience. The eye-popping colors of her artwork are all natural, she says – she does not enhance the insects with paints or dyes. Angus’ work is on exhibit at the Jack Olson Gallery at Northern Illinois University through February 28, and you can see more on her website.
Photo via Wired.com
The Finch and Pea 
This is very creative and innovative art. Her use of insects is bizarre but beautiful. Thanks for sharing.
How is this innovating or even new? This is the same idea that Damien Hirst already did! He didn’t care to massacre thousands of insects that we need to keep the balance of our environment and the important roll that those insects play in our world as part of it, to create something. Sorry but we all know that there is a huge demand for insects as ornaments and that people kill them because there is a huge market. I doubt that she can possibly know that those insects where not part of that market in the world specially in those countries. The suppliers are the same for everyone who consumes exotic species or any insect even if they are not endanger just yet. To say that those animals were not killed to be sold is like saying that you found a unicorn that you can’t show. How is taking any real animal and use it as a piece of art (that obviously encourage others to purchase more of them), is in any way helping preservation? If something is supporting the idea that we should keep using animals as ornaments whatever the real cost that might be. This type of art is the last thing we need other artists to follow because it is a literal threat to the ecosystems that are vital for a future . We need more people that despite their fields and talents care for the progress of morality because we all matter and we just have one world! We need artists that care deeply about how art adds value to humanity, not how it takes reckelessly from it. The vision of an artist should seek to have a positive impact in the world not just by hope but by thoughtful consideration on the how.