LAFAYETTE, La – Lafayette Science Museum (LSM) will celebrate the expansion of its entomology exhibit, The Crawl Space, during this Saturday’s ArtWalk with local artist Kelly Guidry. The downtown museum recently commissioned eight new sculptures from Guidry, who will be on hand Saturday to discuss his work and show new projects. Made of solid wood and welded metal, the larger-than-life pieces depict bugs familiar to any Louisiana local. The collection includes a dragonfly, ladybug, mosquito, cicada, wasp, and more.
Saturday’s ArtWalk will also feature live bugs from Steven Barney, the curator of the LSM Crawl Space exhibit. Visitors of all ages will get a chance to interact with live bugs, including Goliath beetles, hissing cockroaches, grubs, and more.
Also known as the “Chainsaw Guy,” Kelly Guidry resides in Breaux Bridge, Louisiana, the crawfish capital of the world. His work is a combination of both subtractive and constructive sculpture. He uses a chainsaw and other power tools to cut and burn wood, and welding equipment to bend and weld metal. His use of the tools is sometimes unorthodox, and his techniques are constantly in a state of reinvention.
According to Guidry, his focus as a sculptor has been evolving since 2001. “I developed a personal style that I refer to as ‘modern primitive’. Using modern tools, I am able to aggressively manipulate wood and metal into more delicate shapes and subject matter, which appears heavy-handed, yet deliberate and controlled,” Guidry added.
“When my son was young,” Guidry explains, “I was inspired by bug illustrations in his story books. They were simple and stylized and cute. Over the years, some of my bugs tended to look more realistic than others, but it was a real challenge to do this series for Lafayette Science Museum. I did a lot of research, took a lot of measurements, and developed a new technique for keeping the proportions correct. In the end, I was pleased with the balance that I achieved between my style and that of an anatomically correct model.”
The Lafayette Science Museum is a regional science museum serving families, schools, and visitors. By applying the latest technology to interactive experiences and immersive education we strive to promote interest and inspire careers through science, technology, engineering, and math.
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