This is the story of my successfully funded my Kickstarter project. Prints are available for sale on my Etsy store.
In 2023, three great plagues infested the earth. The cicadas appeared first, crawling out of the ground and covering the landscape. Next were the butterflies, emerging from their cocoons to flaunt their brittle wings. Dragonflies completed the cycle, hovering above the devastation in all their elegant glory.
The artwork from the Infestation Project uses a new process I invented to create prints directly from the corpses of dead insects. Yes, it's a bit weird but stick with me. I’ve been perfecting the technique over the last few years and now it is time to get my art in your hands.
The eggs of this idea hatched inside my brain following a trip to a store during the pandemic. I had crumpled up a receipt while my hands were still wet with hand sanitizer. The chemical reaction left a strange pattern on the paper. As I studied the damaged receipt I realized that I might be able to use this effect to create a new printmaking technique.
Like a mad scientist, I threw every combination of chemicals that I could think of at every type of thermal paper that I could get my hands on. After hundreds of failed experiments, I landed on a combination of heat, chemicals, and paper that generated somewhat consistent results. The results are unpredictable, beautiful, and unlike anything you’ve seen before.
After taming the wild process, I launched a Kickstarter to get the art in people's hands. I selected three insects that I’ve always been fascinated by: a cicada, a dragonfly, and a butterfly.
This project has two parts. First, there are the 3 editions of insect prints, ideal for framing and decorating your home. Second is an interactive art project that you can participate in as part of the Infestation community.