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Extreme Eco-Fashion: 10 Recycled Critter Collections

Elizah — Wed, 26 May 2010 17:00:56 +0000

Human beings have relied on the innate warmth and coziness of animal skins for ages, and back in the day with sub-zero temperatures swirling about and the threat of snarling, chronically hungry prehistoric animals at every turn, it made sense to make the most of what remained following a heart-throbbing hunt. Despite the eventual creation of a highly profitable industry built around raising creatures for the sole purpose of harvesting their lush coats, the practice is in our current day and age increasingly considered not only inhumane but also entirely unacceptable now that we’ve developed perfectly viable vegan alternatives. Those who are eco-sympathetic may feel that it is wrong to kill an animal and profit from the sale of its skin, but what about recycling perfectly usable critter body parts when random creatures have met their untimely demise underneath cars, as the result of ill-placed power lines or following a mishap with an immaculately clean office building window? As you will see below, there are more than a few fashion designers and their creative (or morbidly?!?) inspired compadres who pursue the darker side of animal recycling in an effort to craft left-of-center fashion statements that purportedly celebrate the lives of those whose candles have burned out well before their time.

Iris Schieferstein

(Images via: Trampin Feet, Shocking Fuzz, Iris Schieferstein, Design Crisis)

It’s one thing to strut your stuff while wearing the skin of a sacrificed alligator or cow, but once you dare to literally hoof it while sporting recognizable body parts or dead-on, fully intact critters…wellllll, let’s just say that that’s where many fashionistas would easily draw the line. German artist Iris Schieferstein has certainly gone where no other creative minded animal recycler has gone before by fashioning what-the-huh? footwear out of hedgehog bodies, once soaring white doves and now dead-as-a-doornail horsie feet. Certainly striking, these inarguably practical fashion staples nonetheless provoke one to declare a piercingly audible, “Neighhhhh!!!!”

Reid Peppard’s RP/ENCORE

(Images via: Examiner, Smile & Save The Planet, Reid Peppard)

Unlike many of her taxidermy contemporaries who fail to clearly identify precisely how they source the subject of their works, Reid Peppard has long been very transparent about using city casualties that have been found rather than hunted. While it’s not surprising that many find her distinctive brand of fashion rather repulsive, the self-confessed vegetarian sees nothing wrong with transforming what would have normally gone to waste into beautiful personal adornments that might potentially have the power to change the general perception of city-dwelling vermin and garden variety rodents. Interestingly, Peppard has commented that many of her naysayers will “wear leather without thinking…eat meat, drive cars that pollute the atmosphere (and) then turn around and say that my taking waste and preserving it is somehow wrong.” Good point. Now who’s this close to buying her pristine white rat carcass coin purse? Hello? Any takers? Rat purse anyone?

April Hale

(Images via: Craftzine)

For those who experience a serious case of the heebee-jeebies when it comes to the mere mention of the words rat purse, April Hale’s line of roadkill jewelry (with no heads attached) may be just what the doctor ordered. Why must we continue farming conventional forms of fur, anyway? Imagine going cold turkey on the fur industry altogether and instead repurposing the hides of anything that perishes due to natural or city-livin’ causes? There’s certainly a seemingly endless supply… Hale — who also happens to eschew meat — was inspired to pursue this unconventional fashion niche following an unfortunate incident in which a squirrel pulled a deer-in-headlights moment by freeze-framing underneath the tire of her car. She now pays her bills by transforming all manner of flattened critters (house pets excluded) into quirky adornments that celebrate the simple beauty of what we take for granted.

James Faulkner

(Images via: Ecouterre, Refinery 29)

Brits tend to dabble in the quirky side of life (or death as the case may be), but in their defense, they are also far more likely to exercise sustainable behaviors due to a deep-seated eco-awareness that permeates their culture. Scotland-born James Faulkner initially applied his green inclinations on a grand scale by transforming a dearly departed magpie located on the side of the road into a show-stopping headpiece for a friend’s wedding. With ooohs, aaahs and many follow-up orders under his belt, Faulkner soon found himself smack dab in the middle of a dandy little business that allowed him to exercise his artistic inclinations while also honoring his belief in treading lightly on the earth. Stating that he hopes to “maintain the beauty of these creatures” with his hand-crafted millinery, he is opposed to “farming for fashion, which is why (he) sources all of (his) materials as much as possible.”

Lady Lavona

(Images via: Lady Lavona)

Fancy a gnarly-looking bird claw, set of critter choppers or a brawny black beak dangling from your neck? Then Lady Lavona is your gal, conjuring up all sorts of beastly anthropomorphic fashion adornments that pay homage to the macabre Victorian-era penchant for recycling bits and pieces of animals bagged in hunting excursions. While she sources some of her inventory straight from 16th – 19th century stockpiles — including vintage animal hoof necklaces and full spreads of miniature fangs — a great deal of what she sells is self-designed, such as her wildly popular crows feet amulets accented with an artful tangle of earth-toned semi-precious jewels. One thing that Lady Lavona wants prospective buyers to know about her collection is that her animal trinkets are legitimately recycled, unlike those of her competitors that “are bred in captivity for the sole purpose of being sold to human consumers…labs, pet stores, etc.” and yet billed as never being killed for the sole purpose of becoming one of their end products.

Wim Delvoye

(Images via: Wired, Dan Connolly, Wim Delvoye, Neatorama, Saatchi Gallery)

Judging from current industry statistics, the pork biz is doing oinkingly well — by golly, it’s the top animal-based protein source consumed in America! While the other white meat is deeply entrenched in our food chain, we rarely stop to think about how piggy parts are typically recycled. Aside from the bazillion rawhide ears that man’s best canine friends typically snack on in the span of one year or the potted pig meat wonder that we guiltily fry up in a pan (most commonly known as Spam) — porcine skin is also used in the fashion world…but how about pre-tattooed pig skin accessories? Wackadoodle Belgium artist Wim Delvoye has made this seemingly inhumane concept a very real reality on his Beijing-operated ‘art farm’ (the location specifically chosen due to the lack of animal rights concerns). It is there that he and his staff of master tattoo artists brand live (but fortunately sedated) pigs slowly but surely with all sorts of varied images and then allow them to grow to slaughter weight, tan their skins and then either sell the resulting canvases as art, use them as the foundation for custom fashion accessories or taxidermy entire creatures to sell to well-heeled consumers who think nothing of staring eye-to-eye at their specially ordered critter casualties.

Maximilian’s Pet Shop

(Images via: We Make Money Not Art)

Katie Higgs and Ella Kigour — the masterminds behind Maximilian’s Pet Shop — know just how ga-ga we are for our pets, so in a nod to the celebrity trend of dragging petite creatures along with us on mundane shopping excursions, the design team has conceived of a way for mere mortal no-names to do the same while employing a dash of conversation-starting-style. Sure, they have a few designs — such as their burrow friendly rodent accessible sweaters/scarves and bird cage purses — that enable still alive and kicking creatures to see the world with their pet guardians in tow. What is particularly creepy, however, is their Taxidermy Kitty Carrier which, while technically not a fashion accessory per se, still deserves to a place in the annals of extreme eco-fashion since those who are desperately smitten with their departed kittens might feel inclined to show the whole world just how sweet their whiskered face once was (and still is thanks to the modern wonder of well-executed taxidermy). Anyone squirming yet?

Loved To Death

(Images via: Kaboodle, Etsy, Buzzworthy MTV, Chopstix)

Oh goodness gracious…squirrel paw and bird head jewels?!?! Oh sure, why not! The folks at Loved To Death — who by the way have been very publicly accused of misleading their buyers by claiming that no animals were intentionally killed to create their pieces — made headlines with their instantly heart-sinking Polly-no-longer-want-a-cracker pendant, and with good reason. The instantly recognizable parrot, often found in the homes of many-an-animal-lover, never did anyone wrong aside from randomly chomping down on pokey, chronically inquisitive fingers for no particular reason. Not that such an unwelcome action deserves being beheaded and mounted on a silver-plated shield. Sigh. Parrots of the world…be forewarned.

Julia DeVille’s Disce Mori Collection

(Images via: Cool Hunting, Klimt02, Coilhouse)

‘Learn to Die’ doesn’t sound like a very nice name for a company, and yet Julia DeVille’s appropriately Latin-named taxidermy-based company isn’t billing itself as anything other than being a haven (or fashionista pedestal, if you will) for the preserved bodies and random parts of creatures that have passed over to the other side. The natural born Kiwi who now calls Australia her home intentionally utilizes “symbols of mortality” that have perished au naturel in an effort to inspire wearers to “contemplate their own mortal existence and, in turn, appreciate the significance of life.” The result is a collection of crumpled, bejeweled and tah-dahhh fashion statements that are oddly compelling yet flat-out freaky-deaky…great for the fashion-forward goth enthusiast or been-there-done-that rock star who really wants to get tongues flapping.

Custom Creature Taxidermy

(Images via: Solis, My Heart Monster)

Embracing a ‘waste not, want not’ mentality, wildlife rescue/rehabilitator/conservationist Sarina Brewer — who feels that animals are just as beautiful in death as they were while alive — proudly recycles every single animal body or component that passes through her hands. Typically reincarnating the bodies of creatures with varying circumstances (think roadkill, animals that are deemed as pests, pet trade casualties and discarded cattle), the Science Museum of Minnesota volunteer is an odd breed in that she is not only a self-confessed science nerd but also an artist who creates oil-based paintings, sculptural works and wearable fashion accoutrements. If her $45 grouse foot necklace doesn’t grab you, then her $55 coiled rat tail necklace, preserved raccoon heart or mummified kitten paw earrings surely will. The good news for sustainably-minded consumers is that you can take your eco-purchase one step further by repurposing many Custom Creature Taxidermy jewelry pieces as makeshift back scratchers — hmmm, on second thought, perhaps that extracurricular application might kick your itch into overdrive!

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Eco-Graffiti: 10 Guerilla Garden-Inspired Artists That Respect Mother Nature

Elizah — Wed, 19 May 2010 17:00:02 +0000

From time to time, we all experience feelings that bubble up within our bodies, desperate to be unleashed on the world. Graffiti has traditionally served as an ideal outlet for those who feel that writing in personal journals or unloading on psychological professionals just doesn’t cut it, but the vandalism side effect does nothing for one’s future career prospects. Where yesterday’s graffiti artists brandished permanent ink, markers and paint to emblazon counter-culture messages and images onto city streets, signs, buildings and overpasses, their more eco-savvy modern counterparts are now making an equally bold statement while using particularly inventive tagging alternatives such as liquefied mud, moss, recycled fur and plain old pressure washers. Finally, making a brash artistic splash that comments loudly and even anarchistically on the state of society today is within reach (without technically damaging public property)! For visual inspiration and DIY public greenification, the following eco-graffiti examples will surely fuel the flames of personal expression that are burning brightly in your soul…with no threat of handcuffs or pricey fines.

Jesse Graves

(Images via: Shaunie P., Groundswell Collective, Treehugger, See Brown Blog, May’s Machete)

We use it in the form of a facial mask to draw out impurities from the skin, so it makes perfect sense that watered-down dirt is the ideal foil for artist Jesse Graves’ environmental messages. Combining the two basic elements of H20 and terra firma yields an easily manipulated eco-paint that can be slathered onto stencils and carefully peeled away to reveal thought-provoking messages that disintegrate over time. How apropos that Graves’ impermanent medium mirrors the human tendency to get derailed and forgetful where environmental causes are concerned. A coincidence? I think not. However, in true crowd-source fashion, the artist happily dispenses helpful ‘how to’ instructions on his website, which will hopefully get people riled up enough to lobby on behalf of Mother Nature this weekend!

Neozoon

(Images via: Neozoon)

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Whether you’re of the PETA persuasion, you’ve simply been perplexed as to why some find it desirable to paint the town red while wearing dead animal coats on their backs, or you aren’t altogether cool with the notion of the captor-captive relationship, the international artistic collaborative known as Neozoon (a term that references the existence of non-indigenous species) offers interesting food for thought by placing random animal figures throughout the streets of Paris and Berlin wearing assorted recycled fur coats rescued from local thrift stores. The diverse group of artists — who prefer to preserve their anonymity with masks during all public appearances – have proven that their ongoing project is more than just a quirky little pastime. They strategically select the location of all future animal figure installations based on what has happened throughout history, as was the case when they placed recycled fur covered sheep right outside of a former slaughterhouse or bear silhouettes near the location of a former kennel that housed a number of great Ursidae mammals for decades on end. They hope that by “reintroducing (discarded fur coats) to the environment” in their “former shape” that onlookers will recognize that the figures “used to be living animal(s).”

Anna Garforth

(Images via: Yatzer, Free People, Cross Hatchling)

London-based illustrator and graphic designer Anna Garforth propelled herself from paper to three dimensional eco-sculpture by partnering with Elly Stevens in a series of artistic projects that employ sustainable materials, including tree bark, ferns, grass and, most famously, moss. Their collaboration, known as MOSSenger, has yielded impossibly legible and poetic living typography emblazoned on the front of walls, inspired partially from the urban plant life that despite all odds still manages to flourish amid “cracks in the concrete.” Beyond their iconic mossy graffiti partnership, Garforth has also dabbled in recycled leaves and plain old trash to great artistic effect.

Paul Curtis (aka ‘Moose’)

(Images via: Granny Buttons, Daily Art Fixx, Green Answers, Format Mag)

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Ask anyone the question: “Who started reverse graffiti?” – the term used to identify any city image that is created on walls, streets, sidewalks or objects by removing dirt with fingers, power washers and copious amounts of detergent — and British artist Paul Curtis will be given all the credit…and rightfully so. For the past 10 years, the Soundclash record label head, disc jockey, eco-marketing guru and self-confessed ‘Professor of Dirt’ has devoted his spare time to the fine art of defacing public surfaces with cleansing messages, all of which have culminated in commercial contracts with high profile brands. One of his biggest coups was being commissioned by Green Works cleaning products to create an impressive eco-inspired mural in San Francisco’s Broadway tunnel (documented in the video above). Despite the fact that Curtis is “not the world’s biggest environmentalist,” he acknowledges that his distinctive art form sheds light on the omnipresent pollution that exists in the world’s cities and hopes that people will become inspired to tread far more lightly.

CURB

(Images via: CURB, Interactive Angle, Culture Buzz, Springwise)

Inspired by the eco-graffiti trend that has swept the globe, the marketing organization CURB earns their bread and butter by pimping out Momma Nature on behalf of some of the most notable consumer brands and organizations using nothing more than creativity and artfully arranged snow, sand, grass, dirt, water, and even glow in the dark bacteria. As with the other green graffiti examples cited in this article, CURB dabbles in so many intriguing biodegradable and zero-impact mediums that it’s hard not to give them credit – despite their corporate status – for sustainably spreading the word about brands that will ultimately perpetuate our consumerism. Oh, wait a minute…perhaps they really deserve no pat on the back at all. Still, from a completely environmental and artistic perspective, their marketing strategy is really novel, easy on the eyes and absolutely promotes the ‘waste not, want not’ battle cry. From car window dust scapes, carved compost reliefs and sand sculptures to snow imprints and selectively shaped grass structures, CURB is setting a new green eco-advertising standard that (fingers crossed) will catch on like wildfire.

The Dutch Ink Clan

(Images via: Ette Studios)

Working as a reverse graffiti team along the lines of master artist Paul Curtis, several Durban, South Africa schoolmates – including Martin Pace, Stathi Kongianos, JP Jordaan and Nick Ferreira – launched their artistic project by hand scrubbing a visual timeline of their town’s architecture into a pollution covered 17 meter tall concrete freeway wall in Essex Terrace using nothing more than a hardware store-purchased metal brush. With accolades and widespread public appreciation, they moved on to bigger and better projects reflecting more organic scenes such as a school of sardines swimming across a city bridge (which look almost fossilized and prehistoric) as well as a stylistic forest that resembles that of a solar print.

Graffiti Research Lab

(Images via: Gothamist, Digicult, Cranium, DigiArts)

Formed 5 years ago, the Graffiti Research Lab — the brainchild of robotics engineer James Powderly and Parsons School of Design valedictorian Evan Roth – offers a veritable open source toolbox for eco-sensitive activists and graffiti artists to take advantage of. Unlike employing typical earth-bound media such as mud, moss and grass, the duo help the public to communicate their messages thanks to the glorious trinity of computers, video cameras and lights which work in tandem to project images on whatever formerly unreachable surfaces might tickle one’s fancy. The result is visually arresting, particularly when New York City’s Brooklyn Bridge or Italy’s Roman Coliseum are used as canvases, enabling those who have a thing or two on their minds to say it in grand style without damaging a single blade of grass…or their law-abiding reputation.

Edina Tokodi (aka ‘Mosstika’)

(Images via: Mosstika, Design Boom)

Easily able to pull her weight with the best of ‘em, Hungarian-born Edina Tokodi – whose stomping grounds are now in the heart of Brooklyn, New York – is a green graffiti artiste extraordinaire who focuses specifically on bringing “nature closer to city dwellers” through the installation of socially relevant images that trigger environmental appreciation. This is one artist who is particularly passionate about reducing her eco-toll, habitually returning to the scene of her artistic crimes “to visit (her) plants or moss, sometimes to repair them a bit. I am curious about how people receive them, if they just leave them alone, or if they…take care of them or dismantle them. This is what makes my work similar to graffiti, although I am searching for a deeper social meaning.” Choosing typically barren, construction-racked areas to inject with a bit of touchable greenery, Tokodi encourages people to appreciate the tactile sensation of her installations and perhaps even become inspired to reacquaint themselves with their own personal green thumbs.

Alexandre Orion

(Images via: Bldg Blog)

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Skulls don’t seem like particularly green subject matter to focus on, but when they’re etched into the inner tunnel of a highly trafficked area via the grand reverse graffiti tradition, they instantly trigger an ‘ah-ha’ moment. They no longer represent trendy, bad @$$ imagery — instead, they serve as a blatant reminder that the toxic pollution released from the hundreds of thousands of vehicles that commute back and forth on a daily basis have left a tangible mark…not just on our physical structures, but also in the air we breathe and in the environment that is supposed to sustain us. Brazilian graffiti artist Alexandre Orion – who in 2007 transformed Sao Paolo’s Max Feffer Tunnel into an outstandingly impactful verdict on our passive pollution oblivion – fortunately had his project filmed before the city washed away all traces of its existence.

Vichen

(Images via: Vinchen)

Vinchen has earned a reputation on par with Banksy as one to be admired, revered and even emulated…and as his website appropriately asks, “What have you done to change the world lately?” One look at his collection of visually arresting images and you’re immediately struck with the sense that the Ohio artist really means business. His varied and judiciously delivered messages comment on everything from bureaucratic nonsense and chronic hyper-consumerism to social classes and the state of the environment. Of his most clever imagery, Vinchen’s simply named “Ivy” – located on Columbus, Ohio’s High Street – uses a crowning glory of plant life as the perfect accent to a grinning face peering from beneath. On the flip side, his depiction of two innocent Bambi-like fawns nonchalantly nibbling on a radioactive flower cause one to exhale a heavy sigh, knowing full well that there’s more truth in it than we’d like to admit.

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Jeepers Creepers! 10 Insanely Original Insect-Inspired Artists

Extreme Eco-Fashion: 10 Recycled Critter Collections

Jeepers Creepers! 10 Insanely Original Insect-Inspired Artists

Elizah — Wed, 12 May 2010 17:00:53 +0000

The Entomological Society of America says that of the 10 quintillion insects crawling our globe, we’ve come up with names for just one million of the actual 30 million bug species that likely exist (and no, the freaked-out profanities that we’re inclined to shriek at ear-piercing decibels don’t count). Some may find it hard to fathom that the little buggers serve any real purpose beyond dive-bombing picnics and family barbeques or far too often piercing through unguarded swaths of epidermis in order to surreptitiously slurp our blood, but the fact of the matter is that every critter in one way or another takes on a valuable role in our ecosystem. Beyond fulfilling Mother Nature’s bidding, insects have long taken center stage as purportedly tasty, high-protein menu entrees and these days they’re also increasingly being used as a brilliantly organic art medium. So, the next time a wayward insect tiptoes up the back of your leg, instead of smashing it into smithereens, you might consider scooching it into a jar for future artistic inspiration instead!

Tessa Farmer’s Macabre Battles Between Good & Evil Creepies

(Images via: Mental Floss, Saatchi Gallery, Re-Title, Cool Picture Gallery, Bio Ephemera)

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In your wildest nightmares, you probably never imagined evil fairies looking quite like Tessa Farmer’s organic miniaturized one centimeter tall corpse-like creations. Sporting eerily human-esque bodies constructed out of roots, twigs and other assorted natural materials, her creepy sculptures take on more of a menacing cringe-inducing quality with the addition of hand-plucked fly wings which are carefully adhered with glue and the precision that only tweezers and a high-powered microscope can afford. The result is a whimsically distressing battle between the swarming forces of good and evil that reveals the seedy underbelly of human nature as it struggles to dominate Mother Nature. The British born artist says that her very unique scenes get increasingly more evil as time goes on, often “evolving independently” and inspired partially by ‘Nymphidia’ from the 16th century poet Michael Drayton as well as the non-fiction thriller novels of Richard Doyle.

Michael Cook’s Jewel-Like Beetle Wing Embroidery

(Images via: Needle-n-Thread, Two Kitties)

As far back as 650 A.D., the iridescent metallic green wings of beetles have been used to enhance shrines, give pizzazz to paintings and bestow ornamental beauty to hand-held fans, figurines, jewelry, book covers and textiles. Offering an affordable yet inarguably eye-catching alternative to precious stones, steamed beetle wings can easily be punctured with a needle and strung onto fabric with thread (quite like sequins), resulting in a textural accent that is entirely organic yet very long-lasting. Modern day Texas-based textile artist Michael Cook takes great pride in his glorious hand-embroidered creations accented with shimmering beetle wings — even stringing them onto his fabric with silk spun from his personal moth colony — taking the notion of sustainability to a far greater level than even Ms. Martha Stewart herself could probably muster.

Magnus Muhr’s Comic Relief Courtesy Of Carefully Positioned Flies

(Images via: Muhr Galleri)

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Hailing from Karlsoga, Sweden, there’s nothing small-town about photographer Magnus Muhr ever since he pursued a whimsical notion to collect all of the dead flies he could find around his house and give them a starring role in his hand-drawn, comical illustrations. Thanks to his boredom-busting inspiration and the magical power of the internet, Muhr has received a great deal of international attention for his very amusing works which, though often accented with Swedish commentary, easily translate across all language barriers. Although his impressive photographic portfolio includes a vast collection of diverse subjects including serene landscapes and artful nudes, there’s something about the pure simplicity of his flies portraying typical human activities that leaves quite an impression. By the way,Muhr is an eco-friendly recycler in the truest sense of the word since all of his winged creatures are harvested from the windowsills and lamps of his humble abode once they have met their demise the old-fashioned way and prints of his chuckle-worthy insect universe can be purchased for 40 Euros ($51 USD).

Mike Libby’s Robo-Insect Menagerie

(Images via: Oddity Central)

Children are innately drawn to the whimsical pastime of dismembering insects due to sheer curiosity and the desire to comprehend what makes them tick underneath all of their chitosan armor. Adults, on the other hand, generally can’t be bothered, which probably makes Mike Libby smile from ear to ear since he’s been able to virtually ensure his job security by crafting highly bizarre robotic critters via his Insect Lab that currently command hefty price tags climbing all the way up to the $1000 mark. Transforming once happy-go-lucky non-endangered buggies into cybernetic sculptures was an inspired accident prompted by the discovery of an iridescent beetle that had passed onto the other side. Scrutinizing the insect and pondering how it was quite like a miniature mechanical device, Libby hunted down an old wristwatch and decided to incorporate select gears and parts into the beetle itself, yielding a nifty steampunk-esque sculpture which he soon followed with countless others works using the inner workings of antique watches, typewriters and electrical parts. Acknowledging that his creations “tread the fine line of a guilty conscience about the death of the animal versus display of the work”, Libby is now internationally renowned and due to the demand for his left-of-center art, he’s been forced to augment his locally recycled specimens with internationally obtained critters.

Jan Fabre’s Beetle-Collaged Universe

(Images via: Appendix Mag, Salon Van Sisyphus, Blog 2 Modern, The Haunted Lamp, Science Blogs, Art’s The Answer, Saatchi Gallery, Blue Acres, LI to the NK)

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For well over a decade, Belgium artist Jan Fabre has done some pretty strange things with beetle bodies…that is, if you consider studding countless surfaces including caskets, seating, pottery urns with critter carcasses as a just a wee bit left of center. Of all the projects he undertaken throughout the years however, nothing has drawn quite as much attention as his adornment of the ceiling of Brussels’ Royal Palace in 2002 with 1.4 million jewel beetle shells (along with a team of 29 fastidious gluers). Why the fascination with Sternocera Acquisignata? “They symbolize our passage to death, though death understood in the sense of a positive energy field,” Fabre once explained, and given their durability and impressive fade-resistance, they also happen to be an artist’s wildest eco-medium come true. Once you get past the fact that you’re gazing at a sea of dead beetle bodies, the experience can be surreal and dreamy, all at the same time.

Fabian Pena’s Cucaracha Mosaics

(Images via: Cubaen Cuentro, Art Havana, Mi Melodia, C-Monster, Landcare Research, Oldster’s View)

Initially taking advantage of a state sponsored mosquito extermination program in his native Cuba — the collateral damage being hundreds of “stunned” cockroaches — Fabian Pena was able to easily scoop up the subjects of his future artworks, organizing their carcasses into size and tone. The artist then used their wings to create painstakingly hand-arranged mosaics, a response to the indelible impression that their splattered remains made on him as a child while witnessing his grandfather ushering them along to the next life with a rolled up newspaper. Today, he’s established such a name for himself and his astounding odes to la cucaracha that he no longer has to pay 50 cents per harvested roach — people now happily deposit assorted carcasses at his door step. Pena acknowledges that his fascination with Periplaneta Americana makes most people’s skin crawl, but by recycling the 400 million year old creatures, he feels that he “re-contextualizes them” by endowing them with the ability to “comment on man’s existential condition after their death.”

Steven Kutcher’s Pimped-Out Picasso Insects

(Images via: Bug Art By Steven, Washington Post)

Known as Hollywood’s preeminent bug wrangler and entomologist, Steven Kutcher has been quite comfortable handling countless types of creepy-crawlies — including tarantulas, cockroaches, locusts, moths, butterflies, ants, grasshoppers, flies, wasps, scorpions and bees on the sets of countless big budget films for many years now, but art is really where his heart is. Apparently, his insect compadres also feel the call of paint and canvas because they have been integral to the creation of Kutcher’s Bug Art collection. Unlike the previously mentioned art works in this article, NO BUGS have been harmed in the production of the entomologist’s colorful array of paintings (which currently number in the hundreds) because he is very careful to use easily washable non-toxic paints which he hand-loads onto each of their legs before letting them loose. Hoping that art aficionados will gaze at the product of bug partnerships and “see the duality of art and science,” Kutcher endlessly marvels at the fact that paint is the vehicle through which humans can finally detect the visible journey of insects, which he likens to “writing a page in (their) life.”

Christopher Marley’s Exquisite Jeweled Insect Arrangements

(Images via: The Orange County Register, News World, Gogo Raleigh, Jake Graving, Garden and Gun, Nest Home)

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Wow — talk about a kaleidoscope of color! There’s no denying that Christopher Marley’s arrangements of exotic, intensely-pigmented insects are phenomenally beautiful, but hey…wait just a second…is it really fair to call them “art”? Naysayers might be inclined to suggest that arranging a bunch of dead bug carcasses into starburst patterns requires absolutely no shred of artistic skill whatsoever…but what they tend to forget is that Mr. Marley’s highly sought after prints command serious cashola, which means that people legitimately do regard what he is creating as a form of art. Furthermore, he was the one who thought of plunking dead bugs down into patterns first, so no need to be jealous…squeaky wheel gets the oil! What’s rather amusing is that the former bug-o-phobe claims that he now has a deep reverence for all of the creatures that he ends up killing for his livelihood, which seems a little confusing. How is that possible? Marley explains that he’s protecting delicate eco-systems tucked deep within rain forests by paying local residents to selectively cull insect specimens rather than entire populations, ensuring that they have an “economic incentive” to respect the landscape rather than raze it.

Katie Jennings’ Artfully Buggy Showpieces

(Images via: Andrew Zimmern, Etsy, Insect Art Online)

Sting once sang that if you love something or someone, you should “free, free…set them free“, but self-acknowledged bug enthusiast Katie Jennings apparently didn’t listen to that particular CD. What a shame, because the Lawrence, Kansas native — who seems like such a good-natured gal and an admitted lover of all things creepy crawly — might have experienced a moral awakening upon listening to the former Police frontman’s lyrics, choosing instead to abandon her artistic discipline altogether in favor of becoming a bug birthing mother. Alas, her insect-inspired art is still going strong and while it is certainly easy on the eyes…it’s just…well…kind of like placing miniature critter caskets on your wall (or on your earlobes or hair!!!). Jennings’ shadowboxes (featuring glorious technicolor butterflies or beetles nestled up against a contrasting backdrop of handmade marbled, textured or mottled paper) serve as somewhat less of a funeral shrine than her exposed checkerboard beetle pawns, and yet with every piece she creates, she is effectively celebrating the unique beauty of each specimen, suggesting that the onlooker appreciate and savor that which we normally take for granted. Too bad they’re dead as a doornail. On the bright side, they’re organic…and they don’t have to be fed.

Jennifer Angus’ Vivid, Creepy-Covered Wall Collages

(Images via: Biz Bash, Jennifer Angus, Brooksayola, New York Times, Curious Expeditions)

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In a stunning landscape of shape, texture and color, this outstandingly original wallpaper flecked with once hopping and buzzing bugs is virtually impossible to take your eyes off of. These patterns are impossible to find at one’s local home improvement store because they are in fact made possible thanks to the sacrifice of thousands of critters honed from the floors of rain forests — but unlike her fellow insect art enthusiasts — Jennifer Angus reuses HER bodies, thank you very much. Rather than using glue to adhere her subjects onto surfaces, she spears them with straight pins, which may seem like heaping insult upon final injury, but it affords her the opportunity to carefully remove the impaled creatures and integrate them into future artistic installations. If, for some reason, a beetle has reached the point of no repair, then the artist makes a point of donating it along with any other casualties to schools for children to examine and learn from. Give that girl a sky high eco-five!

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Offally Delicious?!? 10 Frightfully Scavenger-Worthy Restaurant Delights

Elizah — Wed, 05 May 2010 17:00:00 +0000

Happily noshing on three square meals a day is a ritual that — for the lucky majority — has evolved from a matter of sheer survival into one of great pleasure. With no more randomly charging wooly mammoths to fight off or (for the most part) food insecurity to contend with, modern society has become far more selective and dare say, even picky about what we choose to put on our plates. Consequently, when it comes to consuming animal protein, we regularly relegate what we deem to be the less desirable parts to the pet food industry, sausages or worse, the garbage pail, failing to recognize as Japanese and Korean diners do that it’s often the offal bits that are good to the last slurp and believed to be a collagen-packed fountain of youth, to boot! Buck up, recycling enthusiasts — a new restaurant trend is emerging in which these nasty bits are transformed into gourmet offerings fit for even the most discerning crows, hyenas and vultures.

Bloody Good Sicilian Spleen Cuisine

(Images via: Goodies First, Picasa Web)

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The last time I checked, the role of the spleen — essential to the lymphatic system of all vertebrate creatures — is to store/filter blood as well as generate lymphocytes which ensure that the immune system is up to snuff and firing on all cylinders. Since that specific organ is given quite a workout throughout its life, it stands to reason that consuming it, even simmered in lard as Brooklyn-based Ferdinando’s Focacceria serves it, might not be enough to mask its rather gristly, artery-laden, tough to masticate nature. According to one critic, consuming a classic vastedda cow spleen sandwich — despite being nestled within a protective sesame bun buffer along with an ample dollop of ricotta — does nothing to mask the sheer taste of blood that the organ was once responsible for processing. Not that there’s anything wrong with that. Perhaps the masses might find spleen crostini a bit more palatable?

Eye Spy Some Deep Fried…Well, You Get The Picture.

(Images via: Things I’ve Tasted, Kevin Eats, NBC, Simon Seeks, Wikimedia)

Windows to the soul they may be, but these peepers are made for eatin’, particularly when they’re prepared the way that Ford’s Filling Station in California makes them. Transforming piggy orbs into poppable morsels of sheer addiction is no easy feat when you’re dealing with squirm-inducing eyeballs, and yet the restaurant achieves the unthinkable by stuffing the center of each with smoked ham hock, lightly breading the exterior and plunging the whole she-bang into oil so it crisps up while still retaining its chewy, chicken-y interior. For significantly less out-of-pocket expense, you can be the proud owner of DIY tuna eyeballs — easily found in most major Japanese grocery stores for mere dollars. If the thought of noshing on a compact ‘packet’ of severed muscles and fat doesn’t turn you off, the best way to make the culinary experience slightly more palatable is to plunge one or many balls into rapidly boiling water, season to taste and squeeze a bit of fresh lemon on top.

South Of The Border ‘Swimmers’ Fishing For Tea & Sympathy?

(Images via: Eats, Eat Show & Tell, Gastronomy, Serious Eats)

Good golly Miss Molly, this is all kinds of wrong, and yet for some bold diners, consuming cod sperm sac is oh-so-right when they’re looking for a little va-va-voom in the bedroom. With its thick, soft, slippery Japanese mayonnaise consistency, it’s somewhat understandable how humans equate “Shirako” (or “white children”) with enhanced virility, but what on EARTH makes anyone willingly want to swallow tadpoles-to-be that never actually were? Die hard food freaks insist that sampling this select male fish genetalia is one of those sensual textural experiences that you just have to dive into at least once in your life. With its purportedly delicate taste and buttery mouth feel (all contained within one convenient sweetbread-like package), sometimes you’ve just gotta…run in the other direction?!?

Cockledoodle Doo, These Gelatinous Combs Are For You!

(Images via: NY Mag, Offal Good, Yaokui, Marissa V.)

What do you get when you cross the vibrant red, fleshy caruncle of a male domestic rooster with a chef’s saute pan? One royally pissed off cock, and with good reason — getting his showy pride and joy carved unceremoniously from his head is just about as bad as a lion submitting to a hair cut…you just don’t go there. And yet plenty of chefs from Barcelona, Tuscany and now the U.S. — including Mario Batali’s Casa Mono — have definitely gone there, creating braised offerings that garner all of the snootiest foodies their bragging rights. Amusingly, the cock’s crowning glory has a funky sort of spongy texture to it, which doesn’t actually seem so desirable after all. The real jewel is locked deep within since combs contain a jackpot reserve of the purest form of hyaluronic acid, which is now being tapped as a natural pain relieving agent that enhances the natural shock-absorbing abilities of human joints. Cockledoodle doo to you too, bub!

Pssst! Your Dinner Can Hear Your Stomach Churning…

(Images via: Serious Eats, LA Weekly, Hip Suburban White Guy, Drs Foster Smith)

Out of the mouths of dogs and onto the plates of serious gourmet food devotees, it’s positively astounding just how many foodies squeal with delight at the sheer mention of the words ‘crispy pig ear salad’. However, let’s get real for a minute. What’s so luxurious about a slab of impossibly chewy cartilage ensconced between a mere suggestion of flesh and an all-encompassing rubbery epidermis exterior? Well, even an old shoe could potentially become palatable if it were stewed for an ungodly amount of time and then plunged into volcanically hot oil..but I digress. Recycling piggy ears is a necessary evil if one is going to respect the ultimate sacrifice that the animal has made, and with everyone from LA’s Church & State and Lazy Ox Canteen to NYC’s Spotted Pig and Paris’ Bristol celebrating porcine ear cuisine, sooner or later, you’re just going to have to give it a crunch or a good long chew, depending on its preparation.

Schwinging Onto Your Plate, Penis (To Some) Is Just Great!

(Images via: Weird Asia News, Interesting Stuff From India, Telegraph, My Interesting Files, Funny Photos)

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Just because it’s used to facilitate procreation doesn’t mean that it’s not suitable for mastication, at least that’s what China’s raw, steamed, boiled and roasted penis-themed restaurant is trying to convince the public. Somehow, the Guo-Li-Zhuang eatery does a brisk business offering all manner of members south of the border, including but certainly NOT limited to those of the water buffalo (which is squid-like in texture), bull, pig, snake, dog, seal, yak, horse and goat as well as eau de deer penis (which is said to be equal parts bitter and sour). In many cases, consuming phallic edibles are believed to enhance one’s virility, imparting the diner who dares to go there with energy as well as fantastic skin tone — whether they’re able to resist the urge to toss their cookies is another story altogether.

No Offal Is Off Limits At NYC’s St. Anselm

(Images via: Urban Daddy, Sarcastic Gamer, Old Man Words, Eat Like a Girl, Learn Something New Today, Local Food Heroes)

Recycling is the name of the game at this new carnivore lover’s refuge. There are so many eyebrow furrowing concoctions on their menu that the adventurous diner might possibly be forced to take two chill pills prior to making a sound culinary decision. Sampling their head cheese (typically made with assorted rough cut pieces of the heads of sheep, calves, cows and/or pigs suspended in aspic gelatin) seems just about as pedestrian as nibbling on their oxtail chili or neck bones a la Venetian, but rest assured there are far more daring tastes to explore. Foodies might prefer venturing into veal heart jerky territory, dabbling in a little beer battered deep fried calf brain or crunching on three types of deep-fried skin. Any Andrew Zimmern-style gorgers in the house might be positively elated to indulge in the bone marrow bread pudding instead or the ground up deep fried pork organs stuffed in natural organ casings (otherwise known as butcher’s faggots), fried gizzard confit or naturally the pierogies stuffed with foie gras. Better keep a defibrillator within arm’s reach.

A Gourmet Taste Sensation of Particularly Heady Proportions

(Images via: Chinophile, Weird Food, The Traveling Hungry Boy, Robert Scales)

There are certain things in life that are seriously hard to stomach and eating the head of a recognizable creature ranks all the way at the tippy-top of the list. To be fair, it seems just as rough a concept to process as gnawing on an elbow or a beak since you can’t escape the reality of what you are dining on. Nevertheless, it is done…that IS how head cheese was born, after all. Creating a meat-packed luncheon loaf glued together with gelatin proved to be a very practical way of using up the ‘nasty bits’ (as did grinding it all up and creating ‘sausages’) but as our society became more persnickety, such culinary experiences were reserved for die hard, old world food preservationists. Still, there are some who to this day dispense with the pleasantries of assorted animal noggin-studded loaves in favor of the real deal, preferring instead to roast whole heads fully in tact and devour with reckless abandon.

Playing Mind Games With Your Palate

(Images via: KCRW, I Food U Food, KGL Photo Blog, Squidoo, Gherkins and Tomatoes, NYS Delight)

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The living dead may be fond of greedily slurping the cerebral matter out of their unwitting prey but they’re missing a huge part of the culinary pleasure by going raw. From the deep fried, breaded brain sandwiches served up at Evansville, Indiana’s Hilltop Inn to the Seso cow brain tacos at Reseda, California’s Carnitas Michocanas and San Francisco-based Incanto‘s delicately braised chanterelle mushroom-caper-lemon calf’s brains, the grey stuff’s got it going on! Beyond the Halloween-like imagery, those with iron stomachs and adrenaline-pumped dining skills insist that consuming brains — when prepared properly — tend to yield gently on the tongue, delivering a milky, silky, fatty foie gras like experience that you’re not likely to forget. If cerebral chomping is your kind of thang, um…congratulations?

Spherical Rubbery Treats, Undoubtedly Tough For Men To Eat!

(Images via: Bento’s Wine Review, Obalesque, Pizza Rules, Asian Food Grocer, Anissas)

Okay, I’m of the female persuasion and even I find this to be a thoroughly revolting culinary offering…even worse than penis, although I can’t quite explain why…perhaps it’s the mystery that lurks within?!? In any event, whether you refer to them as Criadillas, lamb eggs, cowboy caviar, Taboyaki, spring roe, Montana tendergroins or prairie oysters, these dangling organs which bestow the oomph to many a male creature are mercilessly lopped off and then either pan-fried, boiled or breaded and deep fried. Is it really novel to nosh on someone else’s nether region ‘nads, even while under the influence of the palpably ballsy environment of the latest greatest testicle festival? If you have a thing for jawing critter-derived rubber bands infused with the impossibly salty stench of testosterone gone cold, then have at it! In this case, starvation truly sounds like a divine option.

(Top montage images via: Jujube, Ali Campbell, Good, No Salad Is A Meal, Dinah Polly Pooh, Just Hungry)

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Trashed Planet: Our Global Pollution Hangover

Elizah — Sat, 01 May 2010 17:00:06 +0000

Diffusing the stress that typically accompanies the work week is oftentimes as simple as escaping from the concrete jungle and heading deep into the country where nature remains untouched by mankind. Breathe in…and out. Ahhh, such a perfect zen moment. Except…what the? Where were these photographs taken? Surely these images must be the work of some fancy Photoshop program…no doubt conjured up by some eco-fanatical treehugger trying to prove a point about the dire condition that our planet is in. Alright…we get it. Time to swap out these fake pix for the real eye candy…you know, blue skies, billowy cotton candy clouds, lush green rolling hills as far as the eye can see. What? They’re legitimate? The real deal?? Apparently man has a lot of ‘splainin to do.

(Images via: Bized, Geenstijl, Alicia Patterson)

If these global scenes of comprehensively revolting pollution make you feel uneasy and even a little sick to your stomach, then good…that’s the whole point of this article. Photographed from countless locations around the world, they document the dire consequences that have resulted from man’s perpetual efforts to take from the natural environment without exercising thought and consideration first. We’re all taught at a very young age that the liquid essential to all life forms is supposed to be clear, and yet these photos beg to differ. Being able to detect a literal color change in typically colorless elements like air and water is…well, just wrong. From the release of manufacturing chemicals to mining efforts and oil exploration (both of which unearth toxic compounds), there always seems to be unfortunate visual evidence of where man has tread.

(Images via: Geenstijl, Treehugger)

The presence of hyper-populations of algae doesn’t seem so bad in comparison to the previous images, and yet it’s typically a sign that excessive concentrations of nitrogen and phosphorus compounds are present. Aside from being unsightly, excessive amounts of algae can trigger oxygen depletion and biotoxins, both of which kill marine life. Overall, it’s a sign that the ecology of a body of water is out of balance, as was the case when an algae bloom blanketed the Yellow Sea right along the coast of Quingdao’s beach in the summer of 2008, requiring well over 10,000 people to clean up the mess with rakes and sheer stamina.

(Images via: Ducor Waste, Life, Geenstijl, Juice Online)

Of course, nothing seems as bad pollution-wise as the presence of copious amounts of human-produced garbage in our waterways. Of all the species that exist on planet Earth, Homosapiens are the ONLY life form that generates waste, choosing to leave a trail of it in our wake. According to a study conducted just 2 years ago, the Philippines has grand tally of 50 rivers that are contaminated and literally clogged with domestic waste (as is depicted in the largest photo above). Other sources point toward Jakarta’s Citarum river as being among the worst examples of garbage-polluted water ever since it became a casualty of industrialization in the 1980s and the chosen dumping ground for textile chemicals, human waste, plastic bottles and pretty much anything else that residents want to dispose of. Surprisingly, residents who live there lack the convenience of a formal waste management system — even in the year 2010 — but can’t they come up with a better solution rather than continuing to add to the eyesore that was formerly known as a “river”?

(Images via: Geenstijl)

Material items of consumer culture that are continually cast aside into bodies of water may make us shake our heads back and forth while uttering a quiet ‘Tsk-tsk, how could they?’ to ourselves, but what about medical waste, urine, farm pesticides, toxic chromium, untreated sewage and half-burned human and animal remains? In the case of India’s sacred Ganges River, all of those things and more continue to be added to what the World Wildlife Federation refers to as one of the world’s most threatened bodies of water. It is believed that millions of people ritualistically bathe in the 1,500 mile Ganges on a daily basis and also use it to clean their animals and clothing, citing its holy and sin-purging properties. Unfortunately, in many cases the water contains well over 3000 times the acceptable amount of fecal coliform colonies which can (and do) lead to waterborne stomach ailments.

(Images via: Mlive, CSA, Geenstijl)

Clearly, humans aren’t the only species being detrimentally affected by the pollution that we generate. When vast quantities of chemical compounds are deposited into rivers and oceans, oxygen sources are depleted, in turn triggering thermal shock, algae blooms, red tides and “dead zones” that can decimate marine eco-systems. In the past decade alone, there have been endless instances of dead fish surfacing in polluted bodies of water as far and wide as China’s Guanqiao Lake in Wuhan, Northern Ireland, Florida, Alabama and Texas.

(Images via: Geenstijl, DNA India, Atlas Shrugs, SF Citizen)

Seeing animals root through our garbage in search of actual food is almost worse than any of the previous images. They are hardwired to explore and graze amid their natural surroundings, and yet when our waste infiltrates their stomping grounds — even as far out as the middle of the Pacific Ocean — they are bound to slip up and consume something that their bodies aren’t designed to digest. This is playing out in the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, wreaking havoc on vast populations of Albatross, and apparently also in Bangladesh among cattle that roam city streets littered with an astonishing volume of industrial and human-generated waste.

(Images via: Dornob)

Nowhere is waste a more integral part of life than in Cairo, Egypt’s Manshiyat Naser district, appropriately dubbed “Garbage City.” These Bas Princen-captured images speak volumes about the chronically sorry condition of this slum region which is reserved for the sorting and potential recycling of Cairo’s 10,000 pounds of daily waste by the zabbaleen. While these people are certainly aiding Mother Nature with their diligent efforts as well as providing income to their families, they suffer serious on-the-job hazards such as lacerations, potential exposure to spontaneously erupting fires and health issues such as hepatitis and emphysema.

(Images via: Geenstijl, Futurity, Litter Heroes, Fanciful Gift Baskets, Matter Network, Stainless Water Bottles)

Plastic continues to be demonized in the press for its terrible impact on the environment and uncanny ability to persist far longer than we’d like to admit (or actually know). The biggest problem with this man-made creation — aside from the fact that it is derived from fossil fuel and contains Bisphenol A — is that in spite of it being recyclable, there are various types that are difficult or impossible for municipalities to process. Despite the best intentions of consumers who earnestly want to do right by the planet by recycling as much of the plastic that passes through their hands, the material cannot be commingled with different numbered plastics because they all have different melting points. Sigh…this is likely the reason why a mere 6.8% of America’s total plastic is actually successfully recycled. Somehow, the rest ends up littering our oceans, beaches and city streets.

(Images via: Useless Mark, Edward Burtynsky, Bovilddb, Steprobin)

Although “object graveyards” are as much a part of our landscape as baseball fields and concrete jungles, the public rarely gets to see what vast accumulations of unwanted items actually look like when they’re tangled up in one big fat landscape-altering mass. The above images, taken by noted photographer Edward Burtynsky at a California tire reclamation zone, are both impressive and depressing because upon scrutinizing them, you realize that there are likely thousands of additional rubber dead zones just like this one scattered across our country…and who knows how many others abroad. With the passage of time, is it possible that Mother Nature will finally reclaim the land that our unwanted tires are unceremoniously hogging…or are the chemicals that they continue to leach out into the soil permanently dashing all of her hopes?

(Images via: Geenstijl, Barely Imagined Beings, Porcelinux, E-waste Guide)

But wait, it doesn’t stop there. We’ve also got airplane graveyards, dead taxi depots, refrigerator-villes, e-waste mountains, plastic bag tangled trees and garden variety landfills to contend with. We’ve encroached on so many corners of our world with our unwanted waste that it’s a small wonder how there’s any room left for Mother Nature to spread her metaphorical wings. I wonder how we’re going to get ourselves (and her) out of this one.

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