Thursday Salute to Originals: Insect Glamour
With winter slowly coming to an end, warmer temperatures are right around the corner. Not only will the thaw bring shorts and tank tops come out of hibernation, but it will also bring the bugs. Most people aren’t big fans of the little creepy-crawly creatures that buzz, sting, bite, and annoy during the warmer months. But if they looked like the insects below, people might forget about some of those less redeeming qualities, and view them more like eye-candy instead of something that needs to be squashed, and fast!
Artist Hubert Duprat has a pretty broad portfolio of work, but one of his most intriguing projects deals with live insects – specifically, the common caddisfly. But what’s so special about the caddisfly that would draw Duprat to use it as his muse?
Caddisfly larvae, which thrive in freshwater rivers all over the world, create cocoons as a form of protection until they mature into an adult. Normally, the larvae use small fragments of rock, twigs, shells, and sediment – whatever materials are native to their environment – to build their little fortresses. But here’s where Duprat’s artistic eye comes in: he decided to substitute the larvae’s usual medium for something more……glamorous.
By relocating larvae to aquatic environments in his studio, Duprat could control exactly what items with which the bugs could create their cocoons. With access to only luxurious stones and precious metals, the resulting cocoon shells ended up looking like beautifully bejeweled sculptures, rather than a grimy insect carcass – and all compliments of the artistic prowess of the bug himself. Take a look at the below video to hear Duprat’s own insight on his unique work (Fast forward to 2:33 in the video to skip right to his discussion on the caddisfly cocoons).
This week, we salute Hubert Duprat and his original knack for cleverly coaxing nature into creating unforgettable art. Maybe next Duprat could work on putting an artistic spin on some of the other insects that are less than public favorites. After all, a fly in the ointment might not bug us so much if it had some jewel-crusted wings!
Image Credits: Amusing Planet; Colossal