Insect Odyssey: Insects, books and the artistic imagination

This exhibition offers an insight into the insect world through the visual responses and interpretations of contemporary artists and makers to the entomological publications which, since the 17^th Century, have recorded and illustrated these intriguing creatures. It features work by QEST Scholar Su Blackwell.

The selected artists working in different disciplines and media mirror the rich diversity of the insect world. Through the varied scales and materials employed in the new works, and through the narratives embedded in them, the aim is to draw attention not only to the myriad physical and behavioural characteristics of insect populations, but also to the historical, cultural, and social associations they evoke.  Insect Odyssey celebrates contemporary artistic practice, champions the relationship between art and science, and highlights the crucial role played by insects in the environment.

Participating artists and makers:

JULIE AYTON / BRIDGET BAILEY / NICOLA BEALING / SU BLACKWELL / HENNY BURNETT / TRACEY BUSH / TESS CHODAN / LOUISA CRISPIN / RUTH DRESMAN / ARLETTE ESS / TESSA FARMER / SUSAN FRANCIS / SARAH GILLESPIE / KATY HARRALD / KATE HOLLAND / SUSAN HORTH / KATE KATO / NOEMI KISS / PATRICIA LOW / JAMES MORTON-EVANS / LINN O’CARROLL / PETER RANDALL-PAGE / LOUISE RICHARDSON / LOU ROTA / KT ROTHE / RHEA THIERSTEIN / JULIEANN WORRALL-HOOD