Category Archives: art
The Metal Mantids of Geoffrey Haberman
Photographer and artist Goeffrey Haberman creates these articulated mantids by hand using only brass bar stock. He’s made a small army of these species-specific sculptures over the years, and they’re mandible-droppingly intricate and expressive. Like the real mantids that inspired … Continue reading
Feelers and Fire
The amazingly talented Gary Amaro was kind enough to scan for me this beautiful page from his sketchbook of the gathering outside the Surreal World of Insects show in Berkeley, CA. Although the giant metal insects have gone back home, … Continue reading
Creeping Countertops
The above coffee tables (and the chandelier clutching at the ceiling) are just a small part of woodworker Michael Wilson‘s beautifully biomorphic collection, but they’re of course my favorites. My heart simply moults for home décor that looks like it’s … Continue reading
The Buzz of the Real in the Garden of Mouthings
High in the Berkeley Hills, the UC Botanical Garden has entreated a collection of artists, poets, and architects to create engaging and thought-provoking works, and situate them amidst its twisting trails. The show Natural Discourse will be on display from … Continue reading
Posted in art, event
Tagged bee, Berkeley, Gail Wight, Garden, Gordon Frankie, Matthew Suib, Nadia Hironaka, Rollin Coville, Ronald Rael, Shirley Watts, spider, Virginia San Fratello
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The Insect Art of Beth Cavener Stichter
My latest issue of Sculpture magazine came in the mail yesterday, the cover displaying the powerfully unsettling work of Beth Cavener Stichter. Her focus for many years have been on vertebrate animals; rabbits, goats and jackals whose exaggerated stances and humanlike … Continue reading
The Surreal World of Insects
Last Saturday’s opening of The Surreal World of Insects at Terraria was a total hit. More than a simple wine-and-cheese affair, it became a huge party of insect artists and natural history enthusiasts that lasted long into the night! The … Continue reading
Posted in art, event, JD
Tagged Ana Bonfili, Andrew Werby, Colleen Paz, Danielle Schlunegger, Kristen Rieke, Olivia Wright, Pat Hollingsworth, Tami Stewart, Terraria, Todd Cox
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The Bottled Bugs of Colleen Paz
Last week at Oakland’s Art Murmur I got to play with some of these enthralling bug jars made by artist and designer Colleen Paz. A button awakens a frenetically oscillating insect inside each one. I’d love to own one of … Continue reading
The Insect Art of Kristen Rieke
Now through the end of April, Mission Pie in San Francisco features a beautiful collection of insect paintings and sculptures by local artist Kristen Rieke. I happened to find them by accident while meeting Mrs. Swarm after work one evening … Continue reading
The Insect Art of Monique Ligons
Using Gustave Doré‘s iconic works as a starting point, Philadelphia artist Monique Ligons created a series of paintings where humans have been replaced by insects and arachnids, entitled the Biblical Insectarium. Bertran de Born, (a baron and poet whom Dante … Continue reading
Endless Seals, Logos, and Emblems
If there’s one thing that entomological, arachnological, and other invertebrate societies have in common, it’s a tendency to put obscure organisms front and center on their official seals. This post will be first in a series of these gloriously earnest … Continue reading
