I Would So Wear Spider Silk

The Art Institute of Chicago is celebrating the opening of their redesigned galleries of African Art and Indian Art of the Americas.

Golden Textile at the Art Institute of Chicago, photo courtesy of www.prweb.com

This incredible fabric was conceived and created by Simon Peers and Nicholas Godley.  Silk thread was collected from over one million Golden Orb spiders to create the work of art. It has been referred to as the “Eight Wonder of the World”, and it is only here in Chicago through October.

Spider Silk from Madagascar, image courtesy of AIC

Peers and Godley drew upon the work of a French missionary, Jacob Paul Camboue, whose work in the 1880’s and 1890’s had limited success. Before that, the only known spider-silk textile was exhibited at the Exposition Universelle, Paris, 1900.  That work has since been lost.

© Courtesy of Simon Peers and Nicholas Godley

Over 70 people worked to collect spiders from webs on telephone wires, using long poles. They had to be collected during the rainy season, which is the only time when they produce silk.

Here are links to some great articles, and also a You Tube video:
http://www.amnh.org/exhibitions/spidersilk/

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LFF68_bME9E