Jennifer
Angus and
fhe Insect
Kingdom
STORY BY
Jody Clowes
PH OTO GRAPH Y BY
James Visser
“I must have over 20,000 insects,” Jennifer
Angus says mildly. “Storage is getting to be
a massive problem.”
Angus is an artist whose inspiration,
prime subject and preferred medium are
insects. Since the late 1990s her installa-
tions of insect “wallpapers” have become
increasingly ambitious, requiring thou-
sands of prepared specimens to create elab-
orate repeat patterns on the walls and pop-
ulate an array of cabinets, shadow boxes,
dollhouses and dioramas. By default, she
has become an insect collector, drawn into
intimate contact with a worldwide commu-
nity of bug enthusiasts.
The Canadian-born artist and teacher,
who now lives in Madison, Wisconsin,
stumbled into the curious world of insect
collecting while living in Thailand in the
mid-1980s. Wandering the endless stalls of
the Chiang Mai Night Bazaar, she was en-
chanted by the vast numbers of gorgeously
064 american craft
apr/may 09
