idiots' lion, 'ophelia'
i'm absolutely awed by these artists and the force of their imaginations. and it may seem impossible to some, but i believe that a deep love and appreciation of animals comes through in each of these exhibits— a keen sense of animals' vulnerability, magnificence, and character. to my knowledge most taxidermy artists use animals donated by vets or owners— animals that succumbed to unpreventable deaths, or animals that were found (roadkill). these creations are provocative, a bit unnerving, quite mesmerizing, and they demand that we consider animals in a new way, a way that hopefully allows us to see what we usually overlook— the details of their originality, purity, and integrity. and hopefully it reminds us how desperately we need them to occupy this world with us, to remind us of all the things we might forget, and to continue to inspire the bigness of our love and imagination.
