Survival (Screaming Into the Void)

dimensions: Variable (cicada 2.25x1.25x1.25")

materials: clay, acrylic paint, wire, reclaimed cellophane, thread, sound recording

date: 2021

The Cicada’s only defense mechanism is sheer numbers. Though many people find their appearance frightening, cicadas don’t bite, sting, or even fly very fast. They are mistakenly thought of as a crop pest because of the colloquial use of the term “locust,” which are actually a completely different type of insect. Their survival depends on emerging in such vast numbers that their predators can’t eat enough of them to keep the species from propagating.