Mechanical Insects For Friends And Enemies

Sometime last year I sent out a memo regarding gift buying. In case you didn't get the memo, it simply answers the question "what do you buy for the person who has everything?" Simply put (I'm just paraphrasing the original 18 pg memo), nothing. If you're unlucky enough to know some asshole who actually owns everything, buying them gifts is the last thing you should be thinking about. Below is a brief list of things you should be doing instead...

• Showing up at their door well before noon, drunk and demanding to have relations with their zebras.
• Borrowing all of their camping gear and then camping in their solarium for a month.
• Stealing stuff - they have everything, why wouldn't you smuggle out anything that will fit in any given orifice or pocket?
• If it's not worth stealing, smash it or burn it.
• Using their collection of Real Dolls to recreate the Tate Murders.

If none of those suggestions appeal to you, I may have found something that they may not already have (thus negating their bragging rights and mandating a bitch-slap/"booyah"). Artist Mike Libby's Insect Lab creates tiny insect/machinery/electronic mash-ups. Mounted in shadow boxes or glass bell jars these may be one of the most interesting conversation pieces I've ever seen. All things considered, the prices are reasonable, usually between $200 and $300.
From the site... How did insect lab begin? One day I found a dead intact beetle. I then located an old wristwatch, thinking of how the beetle also operated and looked like a little mechanical device and so decided to combine the two. After some time dissecting the beetle and outfitting it with watch parts and gears, I had a convincing little cybernetic sculpture. I soon made many more with other found insects and have been exploring and developing the theme ever since. Where do you get your insects? I get the insects from scientific dealers who provide high quality specimens from all around the world, from Africa from China. Though I still try to salvage insects that I find right at hand. Where do you get the parts? Mainly from antique mechanical pocketwatches and wristwatches. I also use electrical components from old circuit boards. I try to recycle as much as I can.