EXPLORIT Science Center - Weekly Column

Article for: The Davis Enterprise
Date: February 27, 2004
Author: Vanessa Gregory

FREE INNOVATION WEEK CONCLUDES WITH MAGGOT ART!

Rebecca Bullard's "Kat" is visually mesmerizing art. Seven uneven lines of grass green paint flow away from the painting's center like water droplets across a window. It is a profoundly serene work. The same artist created the aggressive "Feeding Frenzy", a tangle of blue lines cut by a single red interloper. The medium for such striking yet distinct paintings is far from typical.

Instead of brushes, Bullard paints with maggots.

Bullard calls the process "Maggot Art!" The maggots are dipped in non-toxic paint and placed on the canvas to create unique patterns. On Saturday, Bullard will share her technique with visitors to Explorit Science Center who will be able to create their own maggot paintings.

The maggots are not harmed by this painting technique. The human artists aren’t in any danger either, but Bullard says that she encounters a lot of skepticism, and even hostility, stemming from preconceived notions associating maggots with decay and death.

"You’d be surprised how angry it makes some people," said Bullard. "They don't understand the importance of insects in our environment."

A Ph.D. student in the UC Davis entomology department, Bullard is acutely aware of the useful role maggots perform in the ecosystem. Maggots will eventually become adult flies, but are in the insect stage of development known as larva. Bullard’s work focuses on the maggot’s ability to generate heat when feeding. This adaptation allows certain larvae to maximize their development when food is available. Her research not only has implications for classic entomology studies, but for forensic entomology as well.

Bullard explains that maggots are often used to estimate how long an individual has been dead. Estimates are based on ambient temperature. New knowledge about heat generated by the maggots themselves stands to enhance the existing science.

Bullard’s already contributing to the art world. The artistic merit of "Maggot Art!" has been noted in the South African magazine Artist’s Platform and in April, select works will be on display at Mishka’s Café in downtown Davis.

But Bullard’s main goal is to increase understanding of maggots and the natural world through art. She does so mainly by working with youngsters before they develop negative views about the creatures. This is the second time Bullard will be featured at Explorit Science Center. The last event drew over sixty curious kids and parents.

Tara Barbier, Explorit’s Family Explorations Coordinator, says she was struck by the way the last session kept kids enthralled to the point of silence. "It's very meditative," said Barbier. "The room was absolutely silent. Because the maggots move so slowly, the kids would place their maggot on the paper and then watch, transfixed, to see where it would go and what design it would create."

Visitors seeking to be equally astounded can attend Saturday’s Maggot Art presentation from 1 to 3 p.m. at Explorit Science Center. This is the final program in the "Innovation Week," a partnering with PBS.

Tomorrow's "Maggot Art!" and admission to the current exhibition, "Get a Clue! Solving Mysteries with Science" are both free. The exhibit runs from 11 to 4:30 p.m.

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Explorit Science Center is at 3141 5th Street in East Davis. The current exhibition is "Get a Clue! Solving Mysteries with Science," which continues through Mar. 7. Public hours are Saturday and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and Tuesday through Friday from 2 to 4:30 p.m. For more information, visit www.explorit.org or call Explorit at (530) 756-0191.

Explorit Science Center Weekly Column