Tiny Mechanical Insects Made of Watch Parts

Chicago-based artist Justin Gershenson-Gates, aka A Mechanical Mind, creates tiny steampunk insects by carefully soldering together gears, springs, and other watch parts. The mechanical bugs, many of which Gershenson-Gates can balance on just his pinky finger, are miniature, multi-legged creatures that each take the artist several hours to complete.

Like a robotic army of creepy crawlers, the metallic mites invoke a sense of mechanical technology come to life. There's something altogether exciting, intriguing, and frightening about the collection that screams “science fiction horror film.” You can hear their metallic little legs feverishly clicking as though they're scurrying across a room just by looking at them.

A number of Gershenson-Gates' mechanical insect sculptures are available to purchase through his Etsy shop.


Justin Gershenson-Gates website
via [from89]

Pinar

Pinar Noorata (she/her) is the Editorial Director at My Modern Met. She is a writer, editor, and content creator based in Brooklyn, New York. She earned her BA in Film and Media Studies from CUNY Hunter College. She has worked at major TV, film, and publishing companies as well as other independent media businesses. She also runs her own art & culture newsletter called The High Low. She first joined the My Modern Met team in 2011 as a Contributing Writer, pitching and publishing articles about a wide range of topics. Her expertise in visual media lends itself to in-depth analysis of varied art forms, including but not limited to painting, illustration, sculpture, installation, design, and photography. Pinar has a particular affinity for spotlighting up-and-coming artists, affording them a platform and offering a voice to lesser-heard individuals looking to break through, especially BIPOC creatives. She has helped multiple artists make a name for themselves and reach a wider audience over 10+ years as a writer and editor (both through long-form articles and short-form videos). When she isn’t writing, editing, or creating videos herself, Pinar enjoys watching films and TV, reading, crafting, drawing, frequenting museums and galleries, and volunteering at her local animal shelter.
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