Sunday, March 13, 2005

This Will Bug You


Wallpaper pattern of bugs by Jennifer Angus

I was at the Habourfront Centre today on the York quay. In the gallery there is an installation called "The Ball and the Feast" by Jennifer Angus. To put simply it's wallpaper patterns made out of almost 6000 real (but dead) insects. Creepy yet interesting at the same time. Probably not for all but definetely interesting to some.

The bugs are pinned to the wall and are exposed (there's no glass over them). If you visit be careful not to lean against the wall. The room is small and dimly lit. The picture above only shows the lower half of the wall with the big bugs. The upper portion has smaller bugs arranged in circular patterns. It took three days with two assistants to create this installation. I wonder if they went bug eyed? (boo).

The installation will be up until March 20.

3 comments:

uncaringbear said...

OMG, that is so gross.

Anonymous said...

Just wondering, Are you people saying gross because you think bugs in large quantities are gross, or are you saying gross because these bugs were probably killed specifficly for this instalation and you find that kind of mass killing gross?

BagelHot said...

It's interesting that you brought that up. Although I can't speak for other readers, at the installation there's a note about the installation specifically saying that the bugs come from specimen dealers throughout the world and none of them are endangered.
Jennifer Angus also states that she, insect dealers and scientists (names aren't given) encourage the collection of bugs by tribal people for income over the cutting down of the rainforest.

It seems a weak platform to kill anything. "Kill a few so many can be saved." That would suck if you were part of that few.

Then again I don't hear anyone standing up for the rights of a worm appearing on an episode of "Fear Factor". Humans can really suck sometimes.