I starting collecting bits of it after creating a sculpture using the empty glass vials – they look like test tubes, but have no lip - from my father’s expensive cigars. My brother helped me make a wooden test tube rack for them to sit in. This work inspired me to jot down ideas for companion pieces to this sculpture.
My father bought some from Camberwell market and others from Industria in Gertrude Street, Fitzroy. I found 3 pieces at op shops.
At the moment they’re all just sitting in my room next to my stereo. I do have two definite ideas for the beaker and the smaller of the petri dishes. I haven’t given much though to the others. I would like to expand my collection. They have a simple utilitarian beauty about them. Apparently glass petri dishes aren’t as common as they once were, due to the fact that they aren’t made anymore. They’re all plastic now.
So, back to my opening sentence. What would lead me to make such a statement?
I caught this spider next to my bed the other morning. A petri dish was the best thing I had handy to capture it. Teamed with a bit of card then flipped over to add the lid it’s a great way to take a closer look at your temporary prisoner.
Going by my Australian Geographic, ‘Common Backyard Spiders’ guide, this may be a male, Whitetailed spider. The females are supposed to be 20mm long. Male spiders are always dwarfed by the females. The MO sounds right ‘...in summer may enter houses, often taking refuge in clothes left on the floor...’ Not a good one to get bitten by (may cause headaches, nausea, chills, blisters and ulcers) but not a deadly one either.
Thought for the Day
Stop faking it! Click here
[edit 23/03/06]
Website for the Day
Victorian Spiders
Apart from helping you identify them, there's also other interesting information about spiders at this site including the origin of the word arachnid
No comments:
Post a Comment