Aluminum Anthill Sculptures

PaintingsbyKateLadd

Summertime brings picnics and picnics bring...ants!
Along with a charming red & white check picnic blanket and a chubby watermelon, somehow
a picnic just wouldn't be a picnic without those party-crashers showing up to "bug" us!

Cartoons have long depicted them toting off the goodies
while we folks look the other way!

galleryhip

Today I'm sharing the work of an artist with a unique way of creating sculptures.

Using molten aluminum, he makes casts of ant colonies!

Fire Ant Colony, 14.5" deep, 10.7 lbs.

Anthillart encourages us to see these creations as both artistic and educational.

It's fascinating to appreciate the elaborate construction of an ant colony from a scientific viewpoint,

as well as from an artistic point of view as an attractive, contemporary piece of art.

Fire Ant Colony, 13" deep, 16.6 lbs.

Aluminum is poured into the top opening of an anthill until all of its tunnels and rooms are filled.

After a period of cooling and hardening, the surrounding area is dug up. 

Attached dirt is hosed off to reveal the intricate, silver sculpture.

Fire Ant Colony, 18" deep, 17.9 lbs.

How interesting that different types of ants have different styles of colonies!

Carpenter Ant Colony, 16.5" deep, 2.3 lbs.

These pieces are sold on Ebay.

Carpenter Ant Colony, 19" deep, 2.3 lbs.

Quite the conversation piece, wouldn't you say?

Carpenter Ant Colony, 31" deep, 3.5 lbs.

Luckily, we don't have to rely on my choppy description to picture how it's done;

watch this YouTube video to see for yourself:

Visit the Anthill Art website and Facebook page!


A shout-out to my friend Scott, whose
Facebook post brought this to my attention!




Images used with direct permission from Anthill Art.