Jo Murray

This work by Johanna Murray is comprised of a series of bugs collected and pinned in individual containers. The containers range in size, shape, and type, one being a small jar, another being a tea cup, etc. The majority of containers are placed on two shelves and a separate, smaller shelf under the two holds a music box with a larger, messier assortment of bugs. Different bugs were collected; the ones in the music box were already dead while the other bugs were caught and killed in a kill jar. The shelves and containers were bought and floral foam and a black velvet cloth was fitted to each container’s particular shape. The bugs were pinned carefully in the containers and the smaller containers were placed on top while the larger containers were placed on the bottom. The music box, which is still functioning, contains the remaining bugs glued though in a more natural manner as if the bugs had died there without human interference. The box was also left untouched so no velvet or foam was placed.

This display brings to mind the “cabinets of curiosity” as a result of its presentation format and thus associates the objects being presented as something of fascination and worth documenting. The arrangement of the boxes at eye level one above the other directs the viewer to interact with the piece from top to bottom. The smaller containers at the top give the viewer a good primer for what is to come in the rest of the containers in the piece. Inside the containers are smaller, more delicate bugs that seem to each have a character about them because of the inherent qualities of the bugs paired with the type and style of the containers. As the viewer moves along to the second shelf of containers, they are presented with larger and less common specimens to interact with. These containers are larger and more boxlike. They house comparatively less delicate bugs although still fragile and carefully-treated. Logically following the display the viewer is led to the last box. Because it is placed separately from the other containers, the box is reasonably considered to have the largest impact as the other containers lead up to this bottom box. The difference in treatment of the bugs within the last container is drastic. Although from the outside it appears similar, the last container does not have the same delicacy as the other containers on the inside. The bugs are scattered, crowded, and on their backs; they look dead rather than placed. The piece is successful in its delivery, though nothing stops the viewer from interacting with the piece out of order. As a result of this, if the order is significant, which is appears to be, if one interacts with the bottom first, then one’s experience would differ from what was intended.

The focus of the piece seems to be creating a new perspective with which to view insects that people may otherwise find gross, scary, or very separate from their lives. As a result of the “cabinet of curiosity” style display, these bugs become something studied, of intrigue, and worth preserving. The thin pins, velvet, and separation of each insect in its own individual container transform each successfully into a delicate object. The care with which the bugs were dealt with is clear by its treatment and thus makes the viewer treat them in a different light. The shift in meaning changes, however, when the viewer reaches the last box. The inclusion of the last box juxtaposes the developing sentiment that the viewer has in viewing the initial boxes with a feeling more instinctive and direct. While the viewer expects something of a similar quality as the first containers, the expectation is unsettled by the reality of literal bugs. The initial treatment succeeds in beautifying and mystifying the bugs while the sudden transition is effective and real because of the lead up. The display creates an atmosphere and expectation inherent in its style that is utilized effectively to deliver a stronger reaction.

The pins and placement brings to mind bug collections and insect taxonomy but changes the perception into a piece that is more emotive and interactive. There is a transformative quality in the two types of treatment of the bugs, one being a study of the exoskeletons of insects and the qualities of their remains and the other being the waste and remain of these pests. Artists have dealt with bugs in similar, almost taxonomical displays such as through hyperrealist paintings. This work, however, give more focus on the actual remains and the physical treatment from two distinct views.