If you don’t think of bugs as art, Salem, Oregon artist, Christopher Marley may change your mind. He uses insects as design elements in elaborate visual compositions the same way that painters use color, texture and form to paint.
Marley pays local collectors for the exotic specimens and says the money helps protect the fragile tropical ecosystems from which they are harvested because there is an economic incentive to preserve them.
His work has been collected in a book as well as a wall calendar.
Bugs as Art
Christopher Marley Uses Insects as Design Elements
Trend Themes
1. Insect Art - Christopher Marley has found a unique way to incorporate insects into art, paving the way for insect art as a new form of visual expression.
2. Eco-collecting - Local collectors can protect fragile ecosystems by collecting exotic insects and providing economic incentive to preserve them, presenting new opportunities for eco-friendly collecting practices.
3. Specimen Repurposing - Incorporating insects as design elements promotes the repurposing of specimens as art, leading to potential innovations in sustainable design.
Industry Implications
1. Art - The art industry has new opportunities for incorporating unusual design elements, and creating sustainable pieces from repurposed specimens.
2. Entomology - In the field of entomology, collecting practices can be reimagined to be more sustainable with the repurposing of specimens for art.
3. Eco-tourism - Bringing attention to fragile tropical ecosystems through local collectors and eco-friendly collecting practices can create new opportunities for eco-tourism.