Progress in academic maggot painting (part 2 of 3)

Alison Bockoven (profiled in part 1 of this series) (at the Entomology Department of Texas A&M University) is not the only person with a high level academic involvement in maggot painting. Over 7000 kilometres away in Manchester, UK, Professor Matthew Cobb, recently embarked on a project with artistic blowfly larvae – it was featured at the 2009 ‘Pestival’ event in central London.

“We just put the maggots in non-toxic paint, and they did the rest, leaving wriggling trails behind that look like Jackson Pollock’s work.”

“The tiny artists were rinsed off and released unharmed into a compost heap after their moment of fame.“

More details here via BBC news.

The maggot painting project is still very much alive, with public demonstrations a couple of times a year. The next event will be at the university’s Faculty of Life Sciences Community Open Day, 6 July, 2013.

Many thanks to Professor Cobb for providing Improbable with the maggot art photo.

COMING SOON! Progress in Australian academic maggot painting.