Can Insects Be Art?

Last Updated (Monday, 29 November 1999 16:00) Written by Raymond Nakamura

Invertebrates are the other 97% of the animal world. Most of them get ignored, while others, like insects, often just get vilified in popular culture. But recently, I saw an Insects art show at the Amelia Douglas Gallery in the New Westminster at campus of Douglas College.

I gathered from the Exhibit Catalogue that the Institute of Urban Ecology approached Vancouver artist Tiko Kerr to create art relating to species of insectivores that could be beneficial in controlling pests. Kerr has a degree in zoology and when I asked him about his process for this work, he emailed, "I did study invertebrates to some degree. But mostly I worked from the vast images available on the internet and read as much as I could about their habits; some rather sinister means of using other species to their advantage for example."

He produced six dramatic, colourful drawings in chalk on black paper. About this technique, he wrote, "I attempted to work quickly so there was a rather raw and spontaneous feel to the mark-making. The vitality of the creatures and a sense of movement was my aim."

To complement these works, the Institute of Urban Ecology set up informational displays discussing different approaches to using insects as biological controls. They also have actual pinned specimens of more conspicuous insects, like rhinocerous beetles and dragonflies.

Ivan Droujinin is a Vancouver-based artist originally from Bulgaria where he trained as an artist. His forty-two of his fine watercolour and tempera paintings included butterflies and beetles as well as some non-insect fauna like birds and spiders and snails.

This is what he told me about his approach, "I would prefer alive insect as a model, however its not likely this would be possible. Insects displayed in museums will not be useful to me, as the bugs I paint have to be shown alive. So I continued studying from several different photos in order to get the right size, color, legs, and body/shape of the bugs. After having a clear vision in my mind I started painting them. He has contributed to various nature guides, including Garden Bugs of British Columbia (Lone Pine Publishing).

Unfortunately, the show is now finished, but I hope this gets you thinking about insects and other invertebrates as subjects worth of artistic expression, if you don't already.