Sunday, July 22, 2007

Taxidermy That's Just Wrong





"What is this?" you must be asking. It is clearly a whole bunch of animals combined together to create one freaky thing. In short, it's the sor of monstrosity that can only be created through the magic of taxidermy.

A few bleeding hearts are going to say this is utterly wrong. I would have to agree with them — if by wrong, they meant totally awesome. Taxidermy is the most fun you can have with a dead thing. And if something's going to die, it's better that a human create some fucked up showpiece than a maggot. It seems I'm not the only one to think so either.

Animal lovers may find these sculptures distasteful and unpleasant to look at, but most Rogue Taxidermists consider themselves nature enthusiasts (many are vegans or vegetarians), and most see their work as a way of appreciating animals, and bringing them a new kind of life. Body parts are invariably acquired post mortem, either from salvaged roadkill, or through taxidermy supply companies, which trade in antlers, tails, teeth, claws, fur and wings. Other Rogue Taxidermists use offal from abbatoirs and slaughterhouses, or animals donated by vets after they’ve been “put to sleep”. These artists intuitively foreground what’s most disturbing about the process of taxidermy, which is the way it blurs the distinction between the living and the dead.
Minnesota Association of Rogue Taxidermy [MART]


Preach on, taxidermists. Preach on. In my opinion, this kind of art is much more exciting than the masses of fruitbowls and portraits I have seen. This here at least stirs some excitement in my blood. I'm seeing something totally new.

This, by the way, is a good thing.





1 comments:

Laura said...

Amen, mate! I'm a taxidermist myself (not a Rogue yet, I just can't bear the idea of possibly ruining what was a perfectly good animal already) and I can't tell you how rare it is to find someone these days who doesn't immediately jump to the conclusion that it's sick and wrong and should be illegal. It is art in a sort of resurrection that goes back to ancient Egypt, and people need to appreciate taxidermy as it is today.