Writing

Taxidermy and You

The South by Southwest Festival in Austin, TX will be starting this Friday.
I plan on devoting most of the week to Austin and SXSW posts.
However, I haven’t written a single thing yet!
In the meantime, please enjoy this gallery of Maurizio Cattelan’s work.
I learnt of Cattelan this weekend while in Houston. The Menil Collection is currently exhibiting some of his pieces. I’m still brewing what I think about him.
What are your thoughts?








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25 Comments

  • Reply Shandi March 8, 2010 at 5:29 pm

    this is really great stuff…I have kind of a soft spot for taxidermy (it's pretty evident on my blog…at least in it's early stages). I'm excited to read your posts on SXSW…I wish I could go!

    🙂

    http://intotheninth.blogspot.com

  • Reply Benny Paul March 8, 2010 at 5:38 pm

    Whoa. Are all the animals taxidermy? Is the person a mannequin?
    Taxidermy usually rubs me the wrong way but I do enjoy freaky sculptures. Have you ever seen Patricia Piccinini's sculptures?
    I was thinking about festivals like SXSW the other day and realized that I've never really experienced anything like SXSW. I've never been in a city small enough for the festival to be that huge, or a city big enough for the festival to be relevant. I hope to check it out one year.

  • Reply Apryl March 8, 2010 at 5:42 pm

    I dig the pachedermy taxydermy.

    And seeing spot not run.

  • Reply Juliette March 8, 2010 at 5:44 pm

    Whoa, talk about creepy. Who would want that in their house? It would definitely scar me for life.
    *shudder*

    It reminds me of that movie called "Untitled" which is about a woman who owns an art gallery and she displays animal taxidermy artwork.

    WhereForArtThouRomeo

  • Reply IT March 8, 2010 at 5:48 pm

    I was gonna say that horse is well hung. Then I realized it's mule. So my comment would have been irrelevant.

  • Reply "Julie" March 8, 2010 at 6:10 pm

    I'm going to be in ATX for SXSW! sOO stoked! can't wait to read your posts about it!

  • Reply Christine Macdonald March 8, 2010 at 6:58 pm

    The irony of the ghost elephant is priceless…

  • Reply Mel March 8, 2010 at 8:26 pm

    Oh, these are dark and disturbing. I love it!

  • Reply Angie March 8, 2010 at 8:34 pm

    Very interesting. But a little macabre. Shock value turns me off sometimes.

  • Reply Heidi March 8, 2010 at 9:43 pm

    Meh… creeps me out a little to tell the truth… uh, no wait… creeps me out more than a little.

  • Reply Allie March 8, 2010 at 9:55 pm

    Those pieces are awesome! Is it completely Inappropriate that I laughed at the dead squirrel? Hahahahah the artist is fantastic.

  • Reply Summer March 8, 2010 at 10:49 pm

    I think they're pretty dumb, on the surface. But I tend to be easily taken into someone else's state of mind, so if I could read an explanation of them from the artist himself, I might have a change of heart.

  • Reply bard March 8, 2010 at 10:55 pm

    I get the subtle impression that he's not too keen on Christianity. 😉

  • Reply Randall March 9, 2010 at 12:01 am

    Well. These are wonderful. But that aside.

    That elephant. Outstanding.

  • Reply Lucky Lizard Ranch March 9, 2010 at 12:26 am

    Interesting and thought provoking; the elephant is a nice touch!

  • Reply subcomandante quito March 9, 2010 at 12:51 am

    i was at the menile this weekend too!
    my favorite was the creepy drummer boy atop the museum roof.
    oh! & the wonderful lady at the lobby. though, she was not part of any exhibit.

  • Reply That Chelsea Girlâ„¢ March 9, 2010 at 2:07 am

    As someone that grew up in hunting culture, taxidermy doesn't scare me one bit. I love the juxtaposition.

  • Reply cjschlottman March 9, 2010 at 2:38 am

    Lauren Dear, I'll have to get back to you on this one. Always interesting and thought provoking.

  • Reply Julie, The Wife March 9, 2010 at 2:41 am

    Freaky deaky. But I do have my own taxied squirrel in the house, so I can't point fingers.

  • Reply flyraeven March 9, 2010 at 6:00 am

    I feel like a bad person for being so amused by some of these. But I am. I really am. My favorites would have to be the priest and the elephant ghost. Too awesome. It's like body worlds, but more thought-provoking, offensive, and creepy!

  • Reply Adrienne Hadaway March 9, 2010 at 6:17 am

    I don't pretend to be an authority on contemporary art but I think that being controversial just for the sake of being controversial without an actual meaning (there may be one – I don't know) seems a little pretentious and silly.

  • Reply WILDasaMINK March 10, 2010 at 3:44 am

    I think I have to tell my friend Bob to check this out. He really digs taxidermy–his whole freakin apt. is full of it, kinda creepy to any poor lassie he lures back to his apartment, but I kinda like that it adds to his skeeze factor.

  • Reply M. March 10, 2010 at 7:59 pm

    Fucking awesome!!!

  • Reply Colleen March 10, 2010 at 9:07 pm

    I've said it on my blog before: what makes art special is that it's not universally understood.

    I think I understand this artist's work. I just find it offensive.

    But, I am looking forward to your SXSW posts!

  • Reply T!nK March 14, 2010 at 9:48 am

    okay. the bottom one creeps me the fuck out. if i saw that in person i would have to run out of the room.

    oh yeah, I am truly scared of zombies. swearsies.

    that weird?

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