If Sylar were into bugs...
December 12, 2006 1:00 AM   Subscribe

Insect Lab. Insects retrofitted with antique watch parts and electronic components.
posted by Lush (29 comments total) 5 users marked this as a favorite
 
Interesting as an idea, in actuality quite gross. I'd rather they were 100% artificial. And you could wind them up and they'd walk around. And fire laser beams from their eyes.
posted by Joeforking at 1:19 AM on December 12, 2006


Ah, man, I'm not creeped out by living bugs at all. Grew up in the country and all, but this really, really creeped me the fuck out. Like, man! I'd rather they were artificial too. Maybe it's because I'm used to be scared the Borg; like, bug Borg are just too much even for my no longer prepubescent mind. Talk about your hive mind. AHH!

Man, I was just about to go to bed too.
posted by Mister Cheese at 1:53 AM on December 12, 2006


The first thing I thought of upon seeing these robobugs was playing Sonic the Hedgehog and spindashing into Badniks. Anyone?
posted by ageispolis at 2:53 AM on December 12, 2006


This century's art; next century's kitsch.
posted by Listener at 3:27 AM on December 12, 2006


Not pretty enough to be worth the death and dismemberment of beast or machine.
posted by pracowity at 3:56 AM on December 12, 2006


Insects of the Uncanny Valley.
posted by unrepentanthippie at 4:15 AM on December 12, 2006


If it was anything larger than bugs I think it would be really freaky.

Survival Research Laboratories comes to mind. Some of SRL's early robotics performances included animal carcasses reanimated with moving robot endoskeletons. Pretty freaky indeed.
posted by flapjax at midnite at 5:07 AM on December 12, 2006


THis is excellent stuff.
posted by mert at 5:41 AM on December 12, 2006


Dazzyling!
posted by gorgor_balabala at 6:04 AM on December 12, 2006


The beetles have an amazing realism to them, like something out of a steampunk anime.

Yeah. I was thinking Tim Burton, myself. But you're right — the visual style is definitely familiar.

I think that's part of the appeal, though. They're creatures from the modern fantasy world brought... well, not to life, but at least into reality. I guess this is how those godawful dragon statues look to people who aren't totally bored of dragons yet.
posted by nebulawindphone at 6:13 AM on December 12, 2006


This one's just beautiful. Thanks for posting this.
posted by mediareport at 6:26 AM on December 12, 2006


While some of them look beautiful, their origin is dubious. Supplied by 'scientific dealers' (wtf?) from around the world...

I'd much prefer to see these creatures alive in their natural habitat. Insects are immeasurably more complex than watch parts.

Aside: Nice web design.
posted by algreer at 7:02 AM on December 12, 2006


Similar to (but less disturbing than) the ceramic insects of Beth Cavener Stichter.

No artist can match the metallic beauty of BuprestidaeWP beetles.
posted by cenoxo at 7:51 AM on December 12, 2006


I can't look at metal radioactive death spiders without being reminded of "Wild Wild West." That is all.
posted by tehloki at 8:33 AM on December 12, 2006


Wow. Very, very cool.
posted by malaprohibita at 9:21 AM on December 12, 2006


Whoa, these are cool.

Except for the spiders. The spiders make me want to hurl.
posted by katillathehun at 9:35 AM on December 12, 2006


algreer writes "Insects are immeasurably more complex than watch parts."

I believe this is why I am so apprehended by the sight of these images, it seems to amount to nothing more than a glorification of human engineering in an infinitely more advanced presentation environment. The lack of any functionality whatsoever is also highly questionable in that context. Poor taste.
posted by prostyle at 9:42 AM on December 12, 2006


Maybe it's viral marketing for intelligent design.
posted by tehloki at 9:47 AM on December 12, 2006


I think it's kind of lame. They just look like bugs with gears glued on. It would be a lot more interesting if the mechanical parts had some apparent functionality. The insects themselves have more art in them than the artwork.
posted by sonofsamiam at 10:08 AM on December 12, 2006


Kind of cool, but am I weird for feeling bad for the insects? I mean, if this was done with mice or cat or bird corpses and presented as art, people would be either nauseated or outraged.
posted by M.C. Lo-Carb! at 10:08 AM on December 12, 2006


Good post. I think the beetles are the best of them.
posted by Wolfdog at 12:41 PM on December 12, 2006


I got the same steampunk vibe XQUZYPHYR, particularly the dragon flies.
posted by quin at 3:50 PM on December 12, 2006


$400+ for a bug with some shit glued to it?

Sorry, I'll take another rare coin instead.
posted by Sukiari at 4:33 PM on December 12, 2006


For some reason, he refers to all electronic components as capacitors. Even so: highly neato!
posted by SteelyDuran at 4:41 PM on December 12, 2006


Yeah, for me these are "bugs with shit glued on them". Not very pretty or interesting at all.
posted by delmoi at 5:16 PM on December 12, 2006


The spiders are the best. I enjoy the simple/complex mechanical/natural contrast.

...of course I wouldn't want one on my nightstand while I'm trying to sleep.

Also for those of you really creeped out by bugs, you might not want to know where the beautiful shellac that covers your nightstand comes from.
posted by damo at 11:32 PM on December 12, 2006


Lovely. Sure, some of them (particularly the cicada) just look like bugs with gears glued onto them. But the beetles are gorgeous, and more than make up for it. My favorite, I think, is the Rhino Beetle. Such a wonderful steampunk feel to it.

Also, "death and dismemberment"? Come on, they're bugs, and populous ones at that. No need to call PETA.
posted by Spike at 11:51 PM on December 13, 2006


These are lame. Now, a spy dragonfly with a sensor pack on the head, a GPRS antenna along the body, a power generator at the base of the wings to leech electricity off its muscles, and electrodes embedded in the brain for steering - that would rock!
posted by azazello at 10:37 AM on December 17, 2006


Late to the thread but...Superb find Lush! What wonderful sculptures! I too like the beetles the best. But all of them are amazing.

These remind me of the excellent science fiction movie, Cronos, about a mechanical bug that survives on human life force.

A couple of other mechanical bugs.
posted by nickyskye at 7:36 PM on January 7, 2007


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