From Joe King:
Stuff and nonsense: The fashion for taxidermy is growing apace, but professional artists worry about ‘ghoulish’ amateurs having a go
by Matthew Bell
Independent.co.uk
October 6, 2013
Once, stuffing a guinea pig for pleasure was considered mildly eccentric. Now, the craze has become so popular that even leading practitioners say it has got out of hand. Polly Morgan, who made taxidermy fashionable 10 years ago with her zany displays of birds, says she has become “uncomfortable with the direction taxidermy is taking”, saying it is “ghoulish and macabre to stuff animals for kicks”. She thinks that young people are “glorifying or sexualising” dead animals.
Ms Morgan’s comments come as more people are learning DIY taxidermy than ever before. The latest trend is for anthropomorphic taxidermy, in which the animal is dressed in human clothes. A new course on guinea pig stuffing begins today at the Hackney City Farm in east London, costing £95 for a six-hour session, dead animals included. Students will be taught how to skin, prep, preserve, mount and position the animal, and are asked not to bring any dead animals of their own, as “ethically sourced” guinea pigs will be provided. They are also “invited to bring additional miniature items with which they might like to dress or decorate their new friend”. Continue reading “Fetish Taxidermy”