Jun 6, 2008

The Joy of Insects


WHEN summer comes, and flowers and windows open, insects follow. They in turn are often followed, swiftly, by a fly swatter. But if you can’t beat them, why not let them join the party? This season, jewelry designers, perhaps recalling the imaginative little girl whose surreal interactions with insects brought a dreamy beauty to “Pan’s Labyrinth,” have shone a spotlight on the Insecta class, finding glamour and chic in all manner of creepy-crawlies.


Insects have of course enjoyed vogues in eras past — notably for the curious Victorians and the macabre Surrealists — but today’s swarm has a more whimsical bent. They range, at least in price, from the lowly (but winsome) bug brooches at Miu Miu to the high-flying jeweled creations of Sharon Khazzam, Sevan and Vernissage. And lest one think this is but a lapel-borne plague of the seven-year variety, bear in mind that there are about 10 quintillion insects in the world — bees, grasshoppers, praying mantises and walking sticks are just the tip of the termite mound. So if art should care to go on imitating nature, it will have some ways to go before the well of inspiration runs dry.
Source: nytimes


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