Fire ants are a dangerous, invasive species. They also make incredibly complex nests. David Gatlin found a way to get rid of ants nests and create beautiful art at the same time: he pours 1,400-degree molten aluminum into them. When the metal dries, it creates an intricate sculpture.
"The larger colonies probably have thousands of interconnected tunnels and chambers," Gatlin told INSIDER. He mostly casts fire ant colonies, but has poured liquid metal into seemingly abandoned carpenter and field ant nests, and they all look distinct.
His anthill art is for sale, but the waitlist is very long.
Written by James Grebey and produced by Carl Mueller
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