Mike Libby and His Souped-Up Beetles

Have you ever wanted a souped-up beetle? No, not the Volkswagen variety. We’re talking about insects (order Coleoptera, for all you Linnaeus fans out there). Artist Mike Libby has made a specialty out of “customizing” real (dead) insects with antique watch parts and mechanical components, offering one-of-a-kind pieces through his Insect Lab. Libby calls his works, which are presented in black shadow boxes or beneath glass domes, a “celebration of natural and manmade function.”