InverteFest Anthology

Cover art by Aspenhearted for the InverteFEST Anthology

I gave a talk this week about Data in Art, featuring how I depict scientific data in my art, and contrasting that with some of my favourites - artists working at the intersection of data and art and scientists who have produced data visualizations influenced by art. I found myself reviewing this blog and some of the posts I have made over the years. I found that I have neglected Magpie and Whiskeyjack! Hence, this is my cue to resume. So, let me draw your attention to the InverteFest Anthology! InverteFest is a thrice-yearly week-long celebration of all things invertebrate. Participants are encouraged to observe and share images of their local invertebrates. Science artists share invertebrate art. Science artist Franz Anthony has been publishing art books of shared invertebrate art. This year, author and artist Saimi Hanma organized an anthology, pairing up writers and artists who all produced collaborative works. It's a weird and wonderful, varied collection (layout by Franz Anthony). There's everything from poetry, to short stories, sci-fi to children's lit, satire, historical fiction and fantasy. You can download it for free from Saimi's website.

My cover art for 'Meet The Pollinators,' written by Lisa Jaffe and illustrated by me, Ele Willoughby

In it you'll find my contribution. I was paired up with Seattle-based writer Lisa Jaffe and together we decided to produce a board book, with some of our favourite pollinators from our respective homes in Ontario and the Pacific Northwest, respectively. She wrote the sweetest text introducing the little ones to our insect neighbours and I illustrated the book with my linocuts of insects and plants. Check it out! Be sure to also check Franz Anthony's gorgeous collections of submitted invertebrate art from artists of all ages, and from all over the world,

Make like a cicada and scream! Cicadas in and as art.

I have been following the prompts for #mathyear, created by mathematician/illustrator Constanza Rojas-Molina and computer scientist/illustrator Marlene Knoche. For the "prime number" prompt earlier this year I was reminded of how cicada lifecycles famous employ prime numbers. 

'Prime cicadas' by Ele Willoughby

 

I printed the first 25 natural numbers with primes in green and non-prime numbers in pink with a cicada. Periodic cicadas lay dormant for years. Then in the spring of either their 13th or 17th year, mature cicada nymphs emerge from underground synchronously, in huge numbers and the males fill the air with their droning chorus. It’s been postulated that lifecycles in prime numbers of years have an evolutionary advantage. It may be predator avoidance by making it impossible for predators to boom at a divisor of their lifecycles. Or, it may be that prime number lifecycles prevents hybridization between broods (who emerge in different years), and that this was particularly important during the Pleistocene glacial stadia when there was heavy selection pressure. We've just now seeing the Great Eastern Brood (Brood X) emerge this year! It has the greatest range and concentration of any of the 17-year cicadas.⁠ ⁠ (A small confession: the specific cicada in my print is a dog-day cicada, an annual cicada and not a member of the Magicicada genus of 13 and 17-year periodical cicadas. I’m taking a little artistic/entomological liberty.)⁠

 I've been seeing that this amazing or overwhelming event, and the beauty of cicadas, has definitely inspired many artists, so I thought I would do a round up of some I enjoy. 

Cicadas Print by Rachel E Lettering on Etsy

Cicada oil painting on wallpaper by Emily Uchytil. Archival prints available here.

Angels diptych by Chloe Ashton

Eugene Alain (E.A.) Seguy’s insect illustrations from the 1920s

Kitagawa Utamaro,
Grasshopper and Cicada, 1788

Cicada, late 19th to early 20th century China, via the Met

Otani Haruhiko, 1941, Stylized Cicada Suiteki

There are also, of course, artists inspired to make art from cicadas and their sloughed off carapaces. Some Japanese high schoolers even built action figures and Godzilla from cicadas shells.

 

Defense mechanism by Adrienne DeLoe

 

“Velo de luto (Mourning veil)” (2020), magicicada wings, sewn with hair, 32 x 47 x 2 inches. By Selva Aparicio, Photo by Robert Chase Heishman.

Object by Carianne Bullard

Cicada wings, legs

Fall 2013

 

Insect as Canvas, Real and Imaginary

Yesterday I encountered the work of two different artists using insects as a medium onto which they are building their art.

Japanese artist Akihiro Higuchi (also here) has created works like traditional Japanese lacquerware on beetles and painted on moths in patterns reminiscent of traditional Japanese-style Nihonga painting, Japanese washi papers as well as more kitschy vintage cartoon illustrations.

Akihiro Higuchi,

"MITATE - urushi" Hideyoshi Toyotomi - Hanbei Takenaka, 2015

Stag beetle specimen, Japanese lacquer, gold dust, silver dust, mixed media
25 x 20 x 6 cm

Akihiro Higuchi,

"MITATE - urushi" Mitsuari Ishida - Sakon Shima, 2015

Stag beetle specimen, Japanese lacquer, gold dust, silver dust, mixed media
25 x 20 x 6 cm

Akihiro Higuchi, Collection, 2007

Watercolour on moth

7 9/10 × 9 4/5 in

20 × 25 cm

Meanwhile, UK illustrator Richard Wilkinson has a series of digital illustrations, so realistic in flavour they (at least at first glance) appear to be painted on insects. They are in fact imaginary insects which resemble pop icons. His delightful collection "Arthropoda Iconicus: Invertebrates From A Far Away Galaxy" allude to Star Wars of course. He expects the book to be released this fall.

Richard Wilkinson, 'Dokk volgatus'

Richard Wilkinson, 'Regio Tutanamentum'

Richard Wilkinson, 'Roboduobus Duoduobus'

I love the intersection of art, entomology, culture and the imagination and how each of these artists are bringing their own cultural touchstones to the medium of insect decoration.

Compare this with where entomology meets fashion.

Metamorphosis and Maria Sibylla Merian; Backyard Butterflies to New World Entomological Explorer

Maria Sibylla Merian, linocut by Ele Willloughby, 2015.
Maria Sibylla Merian (1647-1717), leading entomologist of her day,
traveller and scientific illustrator is shown complete with
pomegranate branch and the life cycle of a butterfly from
caterpillar, to chrysalis in its cocoon to butterfly, inspired by
her famous work 'Metamorphosis insectorum Surinamensium'
- a process she carefully documented and explained.

Born April 2, 1647, Maria Sibylla Merian was the leading entomologist of her day, a great traveller and scientific illustrator. The German-born naturalist came from a Swiss family who founded one of one of Europe's largest publishing houses in the 17th century. This allowed her early access to many books on natural history. After she lost her father at age three, and her mother remarried still life painter Jacob Marrel. Her step-father and his students trained her as an artist. She began painting insects and plants by 13. She wrote, "I spent my time investigating insects. At the beginning, I started with silk worms in my home town of Frankfurt. I realized that other caterpillars produced beautiful butterflies or moths, and that silkworms did the same. This led me to collect all the caterpillars I could find in order to see how they changed".

She married her step-father's apprentice Johann Andreas Graff, they had a daughter Johanna Helena, and moved to his home city of Nurenburg. She was able to contribute to the family income by painting, creating embroidery designs, and teaching drawing lessons to unmarried daughters of wealthy families, something which also allowed her access to the finest gardens where she continued collecting and documenting. She published her first book of natural illustrations, titled Neues Blumenbuch, in 1675 at age 28. In 1679, she first published her insect research in a two-volume, illustrated book focusing on insect metamorphosis. She moved twice to be with her mother after her step-father's death, then to join her half-brother at a Labadist religious community. She also split with her husband. After her mother's death, she moved to Amsterdam in 1691 and divorced her husband in 1692.

In Amsterdam, she was able to observe some of the collections of insects which had been brought back from Suriname. She became curious whether the life cycles of the exotic butterflies and other insects mirrored those Europe species she knew well. She was able to secure the city of Amsterdam's permission and and travel grant to travel to Suriname in South America, along with her younger daughter Dorothea Maria. She further funded her travels by selling 255 paintings. She planned a five year mission to study insects, making her perhaps the first person to plan a proper scientific expedition!

Maria Sibylla Merian, from
Metamorphosis insectorum Surinamensium, Plate LX. 1705

She travelled throughout the colony sketching insects and plants. She criticized the Dutch planters treatment of indigenous people and black slaves (though she relied upon amerindian slaves in her residence and her excursions, and brought a young amerindian woman named Indianin back with her to Holland). She used local native names for the plants and described local uses. Malaria likely cut her expedition short and forced her return to the Dutch Republic in 1701. She sold her collected specimen and in 1705 she published a book Metamorphosis Insectorum Surinamensium about the insects of Suriname.

She suffered a stroke in 1715 which left her partially paralysed and died a pauper in 1717. Her daughter Dorothea published Erucarum Ortus Alimentum et Paradoxa Metamorphosis, a collection of her mother's work, posthumously. Both Dorothea and Johanna followed their mother's lead and became botanical illustrators.

Copper engraving from Maria Sibylla Merian's
Metamorphosis insectorum Surinamensium, Plate XLIX.

Modern scholars now appreciate her pioneering scientific work as well as the beauty of her scientific illustrations. During her life time insects were still reviled and people still put credence in the Aristotelian idea that they were spontaneously generated or "born of mud". She meanwhile detailed the life cycle of 186 species and explained the poorly-understood or even unknown process of metamorphosis. Science was conducted in Latin and her publications were in the vernacular, making them more popular with high society than contemporary scientists. Despite her knowledge and original research contributions she was not really recognized as a scientist in her day (though Carl Linnæus (1707-1778), father of taxonomy, did cite her in his Systema Naturæ of 1753). It was very unusual for a woman in her day to pursue science, let alone travel the world in its pursuit. She was able to do so because she began her studies with the accessible - animals she could find in her own backyard, and become the leading expert on metamorphosis. During her great expedition, she also noted their habitats, feeding habits and uses to indigenous people. Her classification of butterflies and moths are still relevant today. She detailed plants, frogs, snakes, spiders, iguanas, and tropical beetles and was the first European to describe both army ants and leaf cutter ants as well as their effect on other organisms.

Speckled caiman and a false coral snake by Maria Sibylla Merian
from Metamorphosis insectorum Surinamensium II., Plate LXX.

Her work had a strong influence on future scientific illustration. Her work shows great accuracy and she was the first to illustrate the complete life cycle of insects. In her time, funding her expedition and her unladylike devotion to insects was ridiculed, but she is remembered as one of the best insect and flower illustrators of all time. Her daughters and student Rachel Ruysch (1664-1750) all went on to be renown botanical illustrators.

Shortly after her death, Peter the Great saw and purchased a large number of her works in Amsterdam. Her portrait was printed on the 500 DM note before Germany converted to the euro. Her portrait has also appeared on a 0.40 DM stamp and two American 32 cent stamps. Many schools, place names, a scientific research vessel and a crater on Venus have been named in her honour.

One last tidbit (or two) for you history of science buffs: Dorothea's daughter, Maria Sibylla Merian's granddaughter married mathematician Leonhard Euler (1707-1783). Maria Sibylla Merian was also first cousin to Jacob Christoph Le Blon (1667-1741), painter and engraver who invented the four colour printing process (using an RYBK color model similar to the modern CMYK system).

Butterflies are the new pirates

As a corollary to my insects in art posts, I note that an entire post could easily be devoted to butterflies and moths in art - even if I limit this to artists not mentioned in previous butterfly posts. I believe that butterflies are the new pirates. They've become as ubiquitous as other memes (pirates, zombies, vampires, even if far less bloody). I confess, I've been trying to start my own meme with the phrase, "butterflies are the new pirates" as a sort of experiment (and thus far, had no luck). It nonetheless amuses me, hence, the title. But, enough of that. On with the butterfly art!

Artist Louise Richardson often covers her fibre and sculptural art with moths and butterflies.


Key of E flat by Louise Richardson


Spell bound by Louise Richardson


Nettle by Louise Richardson
(↬ a billion taste and tunes)

Similarly, swarms of butterflies show up in the work of sculptor, painter, and animator, David Kracov.

Book of Life by David Kracov

Coca Cola Open Happiness by David Kracov

Indianapolis-based artist Tasha Lewis has made magnetized cyanotype butterflies - a brilliant solution for non-destructive, grafitti-like installations. She writes,

Each installation was spontaneously arranged on iron and steel structures in urban spaces. I find it important to insist that this project does not promote tampering with public sculpture. My butterflies are attached with very very small magnets and thus do not harm the metal of the found art. My goal is to create a very ephemeral public spectacle that toeing the line between subversive and lyrical.

There is much more art to be found in her portfolio.

Source: thisiscolossal.com via minouette on Pinterest

 Magnetized Cyanotype Butterfly Installations by Tasha Lewis

Source: thisiscolossal.com via minouette on Pinterest

 Magnetized Cyanotype Butterfly Installations by Tasha Lewis

Source: tashalewis.info via minouette on Pinterest

 Magnetized Cyanotype Butterfly Installations by Tasha Lewis

(↬ this is colossal)

Bespoke Insects

Source: designboom.com via minouette on Pinterest

 The 'muscle bug (Coleoptera Tendonitis)' by Mark Oliver

For some reason, I've been seeing a quite a few insects in art of late. After the recent post on the photographic work of Laurent Seroussi, today I bring you more than 2D insects: sculptural and animated fanciful insects.

Working with trash (and found objects), British artist Mark Oliver has created the 'litterbugs', building their bodies and classifying his imaginary creatures with scientific and common names. The 'muscle bug (Coleoptera Tendonitis)' for instance involves anatomical illustrations of the muscles in human limbs. The 'frequency moth (Lepidoptera Doppler)' has clock arms for legs. The 'celebellar bug (Coleoptera Mesmerical)' contains anatomical drawings of human heads and brains. Some are more metaphorical in classification. The 'Prophet Moth (Lepidoptera Inspiration)' contains the spine of a bible. He describes his beautiful and whimical Litter Bugs thus as, "A creature whose instinctual and physical qualities have adapted so uniquely to the modern urban environment that it has rendered itself, by nature of camouflage, virtually invisible" in its habitat. They make a truly wonderous collection; be sure to peruse the whole collection.

Source: designboom.com via minouette on Pinterest 

The 'frequency moth (Lepidoptera Doppler)' by Mark Oliver

Source: designboom.com via minouette on Pinterest

 The 'celebellar bug (Coleoptera Mesmerical)' by Mark Oliver

Source: designboom.com via minouette on Pinterest

 The 'Prophet Moth (Lepidoptera Inspiration)' by Mark Oliver

(↬design boom)

Mark Oliver isn't the only artist inventing species of insects. The previously mentioned Finland-based artist Vladimir Stankovic invented Cephalopodoptera, which, as the name suggests, combines the cephalopods (octopi and squids) with insects. What makes them magical is that he has not only illustrated them but animated them, like the often colour-changing or bioluminescent cephalopods. Find more here.

Cephalopodoptera by Vladimir Stankovic

Cephalopodoptera by Vladimir Stankovic

I am really taken with the work of Canadian metalsmith and jeweller Elizabeth Goluch. Her gorgeous metal and gemstone insect sculptures include clever little allusions to nomenclature or folklore. There are a dragons and flies on her dragonfly. Insider her ladybugs are a house engulfed in flames ("Ladybug, ladybug, fly away home. Your house is on fire..."). Her Violin Beetle has a violin, bow and scored music included. Her carpenter arts contain the tools of the trade (hammer, nails and saw). Her work isn't limited to insects; I love the medusa jellyfish with medusa head. Have a look at her marvellous portfolio.

DRAGONFLY by Elizabeth Goluch
Sterling silver, 18k & l4k gold, fresh water pearls, garnets
9.5"l x 11.75"w x 2.75"h

LADYBUG #2 by Elizabeth Goluch
sterling silver, 18k + 14k gold, garnets, enamel, ceramit
5.5"l x 4.5 "w x 1.5 "h

VIOLIN BEETLE by Elizabeth Goluch
sterling silver, 18k & 14k gold
10.5"l x 8.5"w x 1.5"h

CARPENTER ANTS by Elizabeth Goluch
Sterling silver, 14K & 18K gold
8.5"l x 7.25"w x 2.25"h
10"l x 8.75"w x 3"h
9"l x 7"w x 2.75"h

This work reminds me of the Insect Lab Studio. "Borrowing from science fiction and fact, Insect Lab customizes insect specimens with antique watch parts and other mechanical components for a luxurious and whimsical effect." Insect Lab creates sort of steampunk robot-like insects; they don't function robotically, but they merely look like Victoria cyborg insects (or cybugs).

Cetonidae: Amaurodes Passerinii Linnei by Insect Lab
Steel watch parts, gears and screw
2.75"
3"x4" dome

Cetonidae: Dicarphaneous Adamsi by Insect Lab
Steel watch parts, gears, spring and screw
3"
4"x4" dome

Cerambycidae: Batocera Numitor by Insect Lab
Steel pocket watch parts, gears, springs and shafts.
5"
5.5"x5.5" dome

I notice that what all these bespoke insect sculptures (and animations) have in common is that they are made of disparate parts. This seems entirely apt. The word insect itself means segment or cut, refering to their separate parts.