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Insects Illuminated: Photographs,
Prints and Drawings by Evan Summer
September 24, 2005 - January 8,
2006
(above: Morphos on mounting
board, digital photograph. Collection of Bob Natalini)
Insects Illuminated:
Photographs, Prints and Drawings by Evan Summer
focuses on the beauty, color, textures, patterns and forms of the very alive
world of insects. The exhibit runs through January 8, 2006.
During the past two years Evan Summer became very interested
in insects as subjects of art. He'll tell you they provide an unbelievable
variety of color, 
texture, pattern
and form. "I've studied and photographed specimens in the collections
of the Reading Public Museum and Mr. Bob Natalini," said Summer, "as
well as insects I've collected mostly through purchases on E-Bay."
At first, Summer used high-resolution digital photographs as reference
for drawings and prints. Photography enabled him to see details that were
just too small to see without magnification. Later he began thinking of
these photos as finished artworks. "They allowed a level of detail
that I wasn't able to achieve in drawn images," comments Summer, "and
this will be the first time I've exhibited photographs." Most of Summer's
artwork is in printmaking and drawing which will be included in this exhibit
as well. (right: Pink Rhino (Chalcosoma caucasus), 2004, graphite,
pastel)
Interestingly, part of this exhibit consists of photos
of insects in the Reading Public Museum's collection. They were taken in
an area of the Museum where rarely seen specimens are stored in old glass-covered
wooden drawers. Most of these specimens were collected and mounted 50 to
100 years ago. Some are even older and bear the labels of Levi W. Mengel,
who was an entomologist and the Reading Public Museum's founder and first
Director. "These specimens have a unique beauty and show the effects
of time. Some colors aren't as vibrant as they once were and numerous wings,
legs and antennae have fallen off They are part of local history,"
continues Summer, "and show something about the history of scientific
display and the history of scientific taxonomy. These pictures are about
the displays as much as they are about the specimens. They are a tribute
to those who collected, mounted and preserved these insects."
Evan Summer lives in Kutztown, PA with his wife and four
children and has taught printmaking for 18 years at Kutztown University.
He received his Bachelor of Fine Arts degree at the State University of
New York at Buffalo and his Master of Fine Arts degree in printmaking at
Yale University. He is represented in many distinguished collections including
the Metropolitan Museum of Art, National Gallery of Art, and the Philadelphia
Museum of Art, and has had a number of solo exhibitions including an exhibit
at the Corcoran Gallery in Washington D.C. in 1999. He is the recipient
of numerous printmaking awards and prizes including the Tai-he Masterpiece
Award in the 2003 Beijing International Print Biennial. And he is a member
of the National Academy of Design in New York City, where he was awarded
the 1999 Leo Meissner Prize and 2003 Cannon Prize for printmaking.
The opening reception is Saturday, October 1st. Photographer
David Haas will speak at 5:30pm on "Ansel Adams and the Art of Light"
and Summer will be speak at 6:00pm about his exhibit with a reception following
in the Atrium. The reception is free to members, regular admission charged
for non-members. The exhibit is sponsored in part by grants from Kutztown
University, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Council on the Arts, and the
Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission.
Insects Illuminated: Photographs, Prints and Drawings
by Evan Summer is running simultaneously with Ansel
Adams and Edwin Land: Art, Science and Invention Photographs from
the Polaroid Collection.
Related programming:
- Museum Shop Event - Bob Natalini: Insect Artwork - Sunday,
October 2, 2005 - Noon to 5:00 pm. Bob's artwork uses exotic insects that
come from
sustainable use markets
and insect farming projects that help protect rainforests and provide income
to indigenous peoples. This unique insect artwork comes in many forms
- key chains, jewelry, shadow boxes, and more. Museum admission separate.
Free.
-
- Drawing from Natural Specimens - Sunday, October 16,
2005 - 1:00 pm to 3:00 pm - Ages 15 & up. Join artist Evan Summer and
learn to draw using the specimens from his exhibit. Participants will learn
proportion, dimension, and shading techniques as well as how to observe
detail. Fee. (right: Salvazano imperalis, 2005, graphite,
pastel)
-
- Conversation with the Artist: Evan Summer - Wednesday,
October 26, 2005 - 7:00 pm. Join artist Evan Summer as he leads us through
his exhibit. The artist will give a brief introduction, and then through
dialog and questions from the audience you will learn some of the artist's
ideas, techniques and research. Discover too, how Evan used specimens from
Levi Mengel's collection in his work. Bob Natalini's Insect Artwork will
also be available this evening for sale in the Museum Shop. Free with Admission.
-
-
Exhibition checklist:
-
- Evan Summer
- Odontolabis castenauldi, 2004
- graphite, pastel
-
- Evan Summer
- Chalcosoma Caucasus, 2004
- graphite, pastel
-
- Evan Summer
- Salvazano imperalis, 2005
- graphite, pastel
-
- Evan Summer
- Pink Rhino (Chalcosoma caucasus), 2004
- graphite, pastel
-
- Evan Summer
- Beetle (Torinorrhina flammea), 2004
- etching, drypoint
-
- Evan Summer
- Big Fly, 2005
- drypoint
-
- Evan Summer
- Bee, 2005
- etching, drypoint
-
- Evan Summer
- Cicada, 2004
- etching
-
- Evan Summer
- Lynn's Giant Grasshopper, 2004
- etching, drypoint
-
- Evan Summer
- Goliathus cassicus
- Collected in the Congo
- digital photograph
- Collection of the Artist
-
- Evan Summer
- Rosenbergia straussi
- digital photograph
- Collection of the Artist
-
- Evan Summer
- Lamprima adolphinae
- digital photograph
- Collection of the Artist
-
- Evan Summer
- Titanus giganteus
- digital photograph
- Collection of Bob Natalini
-
- Evan Summer
- Macrodontia cervicornus
- digital photograph
- Collection of Bob Natalini
-
- Evan Summer
- Agrias narcissus
- Collected in Guiana
- digital photograph
- Museum Collection
-
- Evan Summer
- Exotic Scarabaeidae
- Collected in Malaysia
- digital photograph
- Museum Collection
-
- Evan Summer
- Chalcosoma caucasus
- Collected in Malaysia
- digital photograph
- Museum Collection
-
- Evan Summer
- Psalidognatus superba
- Collected in South America
- digital photograph
- Museum Collection
-
- Evan Summer
- Lyropteryx sp.
- Collected in Brazil
- digital photograph
- Museum Collection
-
- Evan Summer
- Prepona sp.
- Collected in Ecuador
- digital photograph
- Museum Collection
-
- Evan Summer
- Thecla cordnata
- Collected in Ecuador
- digital photograph
- Museum Collection
-
- Evan Summer
- Thecla platyptera
- Collected in Peru
- digital photograph
- Museum Collection
-
- Evan Summer
- Thyridia confusa
- Collected in Peru
- digital photograph
- Museum Collection
-
- Evan Summer
- Metalmark Butterflies
- digital photograph
- Museum Collection
-
- Evan Summer
- Chloran sp.
- Collected in India
- digital photograph
- Museum Collection
-
- Evan Summer
- Chloran lobaturn
- Collected in El Salvador
- digital photograph
- Museum Collection
-
- Evan Summer
- Cicada
- Collected in India
- digital photograph
- Museum Collection
-
- Evan Summer
- Exotic Tettigoniidae
- Collected in Ecuador
- digital photograph
- Museum Collection
-
- Evan Summer
- Exotic Tettigoniidae
- Collected in Ecuador
- digital photograph
- Museum Collection
-
- Evan Summer
- Carabidae
- Collected in the United States
- digital photograph
- Museum Collection
-
- Evan Summer
- Carabus vinctus
- Collected in the United States
- digital photograph
- Museum Collection
-
- Evan Summer
- Exotic Scarababaedae
- Collected in Malaysia
- digital photograph
- Museum Collection
-
- Evan Summer
- Megaleura coresia
- Florida to Brazil
- digital photograph
- Museum Collection
-
- Evan Summer
- Choeradodis sp.
- Collected in Ecuador
- digital photograph
- Museum Collection
-
- Evan Summer
- Cremna meleagris
- Collected in Peru and Brazil
- digital photograph
- Museum Collection
-
- Evan Summer
- A. velutina
- Collected in the Amazon
- digital photograph
- Museum Collection
-
- Evan Summer
- Chalcosoma caucasus
- digital photograph
- Collection of the Artist
-
- Evan Summer
- Phyllium giganteum on mounting board
- digital photograph
- Collection of Bob Natalini
-
- Evan Summer
- Torinorrhina flammea
- digital photograph
- Collection of the Artist
-
- Evan Summer
- Morphos on mounting board
- digital photograph
- Collection of Bob Natalini
-
- Evan Summer
- Tibicen pruinosa (light)
- digital photograph
- Collection of the Artist
-
- Evan Summer
- Tibicen pruinosa (dark)
- digital photograph
- Collection of the Artist
-
- Evan Summer
- Salvazano imperialis
- digital photograph
- Collection of the Artist
-
- Evan Summer
- Big Fly, 2005
- copper plate with drypoint
-
- Evan Summer
- Exotic Cerambycidae
- digital photograph
(above: Family Nymphalidae - The Brushfoots, Genus
Callicore - the 88 Butterflies. This genus is found from Mexico to
South America. The upper side is dark with a metallic band on the forewing
while the underside is red, white, and brown with numbers such as 69, 88,
96 on the hind wing. There are many species)
Museum specimens:
-
- Family Riodinidae - The Metalmarks
- The Metalmarks are a family of small to medium sized butterflies of
all shapes and colors. Most (1,200 of 1,300 known species) are found in
the American tropics. The Mengel collection is one of the best collections
in the world.
-
- This drawer contains various species of the genus Lyra from
Bolivia, Brazil, Columbia, Ecuador, Honduras, Mexico, Panama, and Peru.
-
-
- Family Riodinidae - The Metalmarks
- This drawer of Metalmarks contains various species of the genus Diroina
from Bolivia, Brazil, Columbia, Ecuador, Honduras, Mexico, Panama, and
Peru.
-
-
- Family Nymphalidae - The Brushfoots
- Subfamily - Morphinae
- Butterflies of the genus Morpho are among the most spectacular
in the world and the best known of the Mengel collection. The Mengel collection
contains about three quarters of the approximately 80 species of Morpho
in the world. These butterflies are found only in Central and South America
with the greatest numbers in the Amazon regions.
-
- The brilliant blue color is not due to pigment, but is caused by the
physical structure of the scales.
-
-
- Family Nymphalidae - The Brushfoots
- Subfamily - Brassolinae
- These large butterflies of the genus Caligo (the Owl Butterflies)
fly in the shadows of the forests of Central and South America. The caterpillars
feed on native plants but may be pests on the introduced banana. Adults
feed on fruit juices. Owl butterflies are a favorite of butterfly houses
because of their large size, slow flight, and long life (4-5 weeks).
-
-
- Family Nymphalidae - The Brushfoots
- Kallima inachus - Dead-Leaf Butterfly
- When this species rests with its wings closed (lower right corner of
the drawer), it looks just like a dead leaf with mid rib, veins, fungus
spots, holes, and tails which look like a leaf petiole. This species is
found in India and eastward.
-
-
- Family Heliconidae
- Heliconius sp.
- The butterfly genus Heliconius is a group peculiar to tropical
America, abundant everywhere in the shades of its forests. Clusters of
varieties and closely allied species are a great puzzle to classifiers.
A relatively long life span (four to six weeks) makes them valuable for
researchers. They are primarily found in the Amazon Basin, and west to
Bolivia and Peru.
-
-
- Family Nymphalidae - The Brushfoots
- Subfamily - Ithomiinae
- This subfamily is found only in Central and South America. Richard
M. Fox, a member of the Museum staff in the 1940's, has written some of
the key references to this group. These slow flying, forest dwelling butterflies
are poisonous to vertebrates and were well known to the developers of mimic
theory.
-
-
- Family Nymphalidae - The Brushfoots
- Genus Callicore - the 88 Butterflies
- This genus is found from Mexico to South America. The upper side is
dark with a metallic band on the forewing while the underside is red, white,
and brown with numbers such as 69, 88, 96 on the hind wing. There are many
species.
-
-
- Family Elateridae - Click Beetles
- There are over 7,000 species of click beetles found throughout the
world. They received their name because of their peculiar ability to "click"
and jump; The clicking is made possible by the flexible union of the upper
body and spine. If they are placed on their backs they use this mechanism
to snap and jump usually falling right side up. The larvae are called
wireworm.
-
-
- Family Buprestidae Jewel Beetles
- Jewel Beetles are one of the most colorful beetle families. They are
abundant in hot, sunny country in a variety of colors and patterns. In
more temperate regions their color is more modest and they are known as
Metallic Wood Borers. They live on trees, bushes and herbaceous plants
and are primarily nocturnal.
-
-
- Family Scarabaeidae Scarab Beetles
- Dung, rhinoceros, Hercules and sacred scarab are the names of some
of the beetles in the scarab beetle family. More than 35,000 species of
these awesome beetles are found in the insect world, the most amazing
in the tropics. The club at the end of each short and elbowed antenna
helps to identify scarab beetles.
-
- Some species are brilliantly colored in metallic hues of black, purple,
blue, green, bronze or gold. The ancient Egyptians thought of the dung-eating
scarab as a holy animal, carving it on precious stones for beads or other
jewelry. It was used as a symbol of the sun because of its circular shape
and bright golden colors.
-
-
- Family Scarabaeidae Scarab Beetles
- Family Cerambycidae - Longhorn Beetles
- Longhorn beetles are distinguished by their unusually long antennae
that extend up to or past the abdomen. Males have much longer antennae
than females. Cerambycids have kidney bean shaped eyes just below
the antennae. There are nearly 20,000 species worldwide and over 1, 200
in the U.S.
- Family Cerambycidae - Longhorn Beetles
-
-
- Family Cerambycidae - Longhorn Beetles
- These two drawers contain a variety of Grasshoppers, Cockroaches, Mantids,
and Walkingsticks.
-
-
- Order Orthoptera Grasshoppers, Katydids, and Crickets
- Orthoptera make up the sixth largest order of insects with about
23,000 named species. They have straight, parchment-like forewings and
fanlike membranous back wings. They have specialized back legs for jumping,
and undergo incomplete metamorphosis. They are found throughout the world
with the greatest numbers in the tropics.
-
-
- Suborder Blattaria - Cockroaches
- Cockroaches are insects with flattened bodies and long antennae. They
are nocturnal animals that feed on a variety of organic material high in
fats and starches. Several species invade homes where they can contaminate
food. There are about 4,000 species of cockroaches worldwide.
-
-
- Family Mantidae Mantids
- Praying mantids are slow-moving insects with front legs greatly modified
for grasping prey. They usually wait motionless to seize any insect that
venture within striking distance. Mantids are well known as biological
control agents. They are usually found in foliage. They may be up to
4 inches long and are found throughout the world.
-
-
- Family Phasmatidae - Walking Sticks
- These peaceful insects are strictly vegetarians. There are over 3000
varieties of these nocturnal insects named for their twig-like appearance.
The longest insect in the United States is a walking stick, Megaphasma
dentricus, which reaches a length of about 7 inches.
(above: Exhibition title wall showing digital images of
specimens from the Reading Public Museum collection:
Megaleura coresia
Florida to Brazil
digital photograph
Metalmark Butterflies
digital photograph
Cremna meleagris
Collected in Peru and Brazil
digital photograph
Prepona species
Collected in Ecuador
digital photograph
Lyropteryx species
Collected in Brazil
digital photograph
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