Lately I have spent a lot of time wandering the internet, collecting images and piling them on to my desktop. Eventually I get around to sorting them (usually when it comes time to begin another series of creatures). Somewhere there is a folder, buried among the cyber clutter, labeled: Strange animals – taxidermy art. Below are a handful of the inspiring, creepy and delicate pieces stored on my computer.
From Ron Pippin:
From Polly Morgan:
From Huma Mulji:
From Lisa Black:
From Jessica Joslin:
And… a couple animals on the Faux Side.
From Shauna Richardson:
From Elizabeth McGrath:
Lana Crooks loves the antique, the creepy, the cute and the mysterious. She began her artistic life as an illustrator but became a sculptor of fabrics and found objects. She constructs all kinds of creatures (commonly those from the deepest oceans but even the ones from under your bed). These cuddly monstrosities have been spied at places such as: Munky King, Rivet, Rotofugi, G1988 and Art Basel. Lana has frequently been spotted teaming up with other artists to help create the monsters within their heads. She has also partnered with the OhNo!Doom collective and operates a gallery in Chicago, IL. But, on an average day, you can find her at the studio surrounded by model ships, books, skulls, faux fur, glass eyes, a menagerie of stuffed friends and a cat named Tanuki.