THE VIOLIN MANTIS 12 ‘ x 4’, 18 mm Silk Twill, Shoosty, 2025 Shoosty’s “Violin Mantis,” inspired by the Gongylus Gongylodes, continues to captivate at the Museum of Arts and Sciences in Dayto - na, its 12-foot-tall silk twill form a testament to Chromatic Fusionism. This work finds a kindred spirit in the surrealist explorations of Salvador Dalí, whose own fusion of nature and imagina - tion redefined art. Dalí once remarked, “I am not strange. I am just not normal,” a sentiment that echoes Shoosty’s bold re-imagining of the wandering violin mantis, blending its biological essence with Victorian and Bauhaus influenc - es. The silk medium, crafted by insects, rein - forces this dialogue between creator and cre - ation, cementing the piece’s avant-garde allure.
Illustration of Gongylus Gongylodes by Drury, Dru, 1725-1803. Westwood, J. O. 1805-1893
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