Is Taxidermy a Dying Art?
Facts & Personal Opinion | By Amy Hurst
Taxidermy is the art of stuffing, mounting or preparing an animal into an object. Taxidermy has been around for many years in various styles and ways including: country folk who would hang their dead animals up in pride as a trophy for what they have achieved, clothing in the fashion industry with leather jackets, minx scarves and fur coats etc. Although some of these desires were unethical and inhuman they still continued throughout the ages and now today as well.
Kate’s taxidermy pieces however changed the meaning of taxidermy by becoming ethical and cruelty free to animals. Her pieces are sourced from natural death of an animal and no animals are killed for the making of her artwork. Although Kate’s work can be different, hipster and might not be classed as the ‘norm’. I do think however she does create pieces in the traditional, learning style with the bird and its prey giving an understanding for younger people, having a historical learning style similar to those displayed in museums.
Her pieces such as her half moon crescent made entirely of butterflies and butterfly wings with decoration of flowers are unique to her and something she told me she cam with entirely on her own. However, she did tell me that over the time of her business growing she has found a lot of people tend to ‘replicate’/ ‘copy’ her work which is something she is not so keen on. For example, she made small baubles last Christmas with small animal’s skulls inside with Christmas flavour in colour and style and told me how these had been replicated immensely and a large number of people began to copy and sell there own.
I suppose this can suggest how taxidermy is not a dying art but almost an up and coming fashion trend, almost ‘mainstream’. The plain frames with the butterflies in them are something that is becoming very popular quickly with stores such as Urban Outfitters starting to bring them into store however, I am not entirely convinced the butterflies are real. Although with Kate having real butterflies, expensive and good quality products to make her artwork this could affect her business if places begin to sell similar work at a fraction of the price.
Although taxidermy I wouldn’t say is a dying art it certainly is an ever changing and always developing art. Its moving on from art into interior design and objects of desire with people buying into the art for there homes to create wall art and style into there rooms. Taxidermy can be a good thing allowing animals to live on and be beautiful forever however, it can also be considered a bad thing with non ethical taxidermy and people killing animals for the sake of there homes or style.
Taxidermy is always seen through fashion with real leather jackets, fur coats and smaller high street companies making faux leather jackets and fur coats allowing people to buy into the idea of animal skin. Various places abroad tend to sell the real coats made from animal skin but you do not tend to find a lot of stores and places that sell real animal skin in the UK.
I do think taxidermy can be a beautiful and wonderful thing if done correctly! It can allow the animals to live on in homes, with real beauty and appreciation however if done wrong it can be a horrible thing and the world could loose out on so many wonderful living creatures, I am not suggesting kill the animals to live on in our homes. I agree to ethical taxidermy completely it is a beautiful art and should continue to fill the lives of so many people!
