Steampunk Insects by Lindsey Bessanson

Artist Lindsey Bessanson from Arizona created these beautiful steampunk insects.



"I started with making insect jewellery around 2003"



"I'd buy dead insects online and cast them in sterling silver."



She obtains dead insects from eBay and from a few specialist entomologist websites. Sometimes, she finds it right at home and then it’s her husband’s job to put it in the freezer to die quickly and painlessly.



Apparently, she can’t do it herself because she feels for the insects.



“I can’t even give them the last, ‘Okay you’re going to die now…’ speech. It’s too sad.”



She came with the idea when she realized some insects were just too beautiful to be cast in gold or silver for jewelry.



"My first dung beetle made me want to start working with the actual insects as art instead of casting them - It was a brilliant purple colour. Sometimes the casting just isn't as beautiful as the original bug. They can be very jewel-like in themselves."



So, she takes dried, dead insects and puts them through a humidifier for a couple of days.



With this, the legs and wings become more flexible, allowing her to fan them out and position them according to her liking. At this stage she is able to take the insect apart, as though it were a toy. She then strengthens all the joints with metal and puts everything back together again. The completed insect is pinned to a piece of Styrofoam so it can harden into the desired position. It takes her about two weeks to complete an insect sculpture.



The completed pieces are all for sale between £75 ($120) and £190 ($300).

Source: caricaturasrj

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