Jennifer Angus: In the Midnight Garden

August 27 – October 20, 2013

Jennifer Angus first showed at the Museum in 2003, as part of the group exhibition Bugs and Such. Angus returns to fill the Museum’s galleries with more exotic bugs and creatures. “My installation, In the Midnight Garden, takes inspiration from the Victorian era. Both adults and children were introduced to the natural world through educational publications in which various species of wildlife from insects to elephants were anthropomorphized so as to have greater appeal to the general reading public. Voracious collecting of all manner of plants and wildlife was extremely popular at that time. While I may allude to threatened species, none of the insects I use are endangered. The vast majority of insects on the endangered species list are there because of loss of habitat, not over collection. The insects I use are farmed or collected by local indigenous peoples providing them a livelihood. Since most of these species come from a rain forest environment the people collecting will not cut down the jungle which provides their livelihood. It is ecologically sound. They are a renewable resource.”

Artist Statement

Installation Images