There are a lot of people who aren't fond of bugs. However, we can't deny the fact that bugs play an important role in our everyday life. Whether it's for pollination, or as an alternative source of protein, these bugs are very useful to us humans.
Jennifer Angus believes that insects have their own diverse beauty. The Canadian-born artist decorated the walls of Washington, D.C.'s Renwick Gallery with 5,000 insects arranged in various patterns. She made an art insulation that would capture everybody who goes inside the gallery.
The artist hopes to raise awareness about insect conservation and biodiversity to as much people as she can. Many insects which come from illegal dealers in Southeast Asia are endangered. Most of these insects are a part of Angus' personal collection, and she usually uses them over and over for her shows. The insects in the collection have never been changed or modified. She based some of her ethics in working with insects in her art, which is driven by her eagerness to repeatedly tell people that the wild around the world are being sabotaged. And although insects are small, they should be treated with the same importance as those of the bigger animals.
Angus said that people who visit her exhibits did not know that unusual insects exist. She continued saying that her goal is to get them to feel excited and hopefully become passionate to get involved with one of the many rainforest preservation projects out there through her exhibitions. She wants people to think about their behavior towards the environment, as well. It is easy to tackle those animals which are big like larger mammals, birds and fish. However, she is very concerned about the welfare of the smaller creatures having the same amount of importance in the ecosystem.
Angus pinned a wide variety of insects on the walls of the Renwick. Dried insects like cicadas, weevils, beetles, leaf bugs, and butterflies in recurrent figures, so that the walls would look like there are some kinds of wallpapers on them. The pink wall color was achieved using a dye that came from cochineal insects, which are sometimes used in cosmetics and ice cream.
