RAM’s Unique Look at the ‘American Cockroach’

While some insectsintrigue viewers, or even inspire a sense of awe, cockroaches almost alwaysmeet with disgust. Catherine Chalmers takes a closer look at the cockroachandhuman reactions toward itin “Catherine Chalmers: American Cockroach,” one ofthree interrelated exhibitions in the “All the Buzz” project at the Racine Art Museum (441 Main St., Racine).

This expansivesurvey features photographic artwork and videos that Chalmers creates whilenurturing and examining the lives of cockroaches in her studio. Chalmersquestions our perceptions of the American cockroach, or Periplaneta americana,through provocative photographs involving dioramas in which she places thebugs.

Chalmers’ work isseparated into three distinct sections. “Residents” involves large color printsof cockroaches in typically human settings, specifically a home. This sectionincludes Vanity, where one insectsits on a dresser and looks at its reflection in a mirror, and Sex (on bed), which portrays a romanticscene complete with wine bottle, golden-threaded bed linens and half-eatenfruit on the floor. These photographs create a sense of unease by placinginsects within human domains.

The last series,“Executions,” plays on the ways in which unwanted insects are usuallyexterminated. Chalmers pictures the deadly deeds through methods traditionallyused on humans, again contrasting the insect and human worlds. Theblack-and-white photograph Electric Chairplaces one six-legged creature in a miniature wooden seat, sparks shooting frombetween its antennae. The image triggers a wide range of emotions as the viewercontemplates this process of punishment.

Those disgusted bycockroaches may find it difficult to enjoy the exhibit on an aesthetic level,but Chalmers’ sensitivity and inventiveness inspire deep appreciation. Theother two exhibitions in “All the Buzz”by Jennifer Angus and JoAnnaPoehlmannmay be easier to understand and accept, yet Chalmers’ challengingartwork presents fresh insights into our human view of the American cockroach.

“Catherine Chalmers: American Cockroach” continuesthrough Sept. 12.