I went to the art of taxidermy conference that Zoë recommended in Colchester today, and it was brilliant. They had very diverse and relevant speakers and I felt I learnt something from each of them. It was really valuable hearing from professionals from the taxidermy from all sorts of different speakers. Taxidermists, professors, etc.
All in all, I’m realising I’d love not only to work about/research more around the ideas of nature and taxidermy and animals in art, but I would love to have a career in this field somehow too. One of the taxidermists, jasmine, who is now working for museums and artists, started off by volunteering and trying taxidermy.. but she also said they are terribly underpaid. Probably two fifty max for a piece of work when the same museum would pay millions of pounds for a piece of art. Which is crazy because people do not recognise taxidermy as craft / art, it’s not as valued as artworks. you don’t see the taxidermist’s name in labels in museums. With some artists she worked with, they’d put in their interviews, the taxidermy is by them. so now she charges for ‘anonymity’ and for her time properly. Anyway, it was really interesting having her talk about her work and also from a local taxidermist (Hannah) who learnt by herself - from YouTube videos and research online. All the taxidermists today were under the consensus that they will not do work on an animal that has been purposely killed / sourced unethically. Hannah was talking through legalities and licenses/ many different natural sourcing including roadkill, cat kill, birds that bump into windows, old age etc.
The first two speakers spoke on certain collections in Colchester/Ipswich. It was really fascinating hearing the behind the scenes in conservation for these specimens, and seeing the sketches and notes back in the day when the collectors envisioned each case. She also brought in the case of snow buntings she was talking about in the presentation - one bird was missing and they had to X-ray the possible suspects to see which wiring technique matched that of the taxidermist - it was amazing. Pat Morris’ presentation was engaging as well, he was talking more about the social history significance of taxidermy and in particular, the work of Walter potter who I briefly looked at during my MCP research. He gave much insight into what potter was all about - not actually a very skilled taxidermist (he taught himself) but his cases of anthropomorphic taxidermy went on to become some of the most famous taxidermy out there - featuring animals with human characteristics - inspired from traditional stories and tales, etc. People also gave him things like freaks/mutations that are found in farms in exchange for a pint (his museum grew from his fathers pub)..
The last talk from Sam was very relevant as well, especially after my MCP. He mentioned some names that I was researching, like sugimoto and Dion and haraway. He was explaining how he wanted to bridge the distance between natural history and art history. they are usually considered vastly different things when really, it would be fascinating to get a dialogue going between them. he said he teaches this module of animals in art etc. And it sounded fasicnating.
All in all, I’m realising I’d love not only to work about/research more around the ideas of nature and taxidermy and animals in art, but I would love to have a career in this field somehow too. One of the taxidermists, jasmine, who is now working for museums and artists, started off by volunteering and trying taxidermy.. but she also said they are terribly underpaid. Probably two fifty max for a piece of work when the same museum would pay millions of pounds for a piece of art. Which is crazy because people do not recognise taxidermy as craft / art, it’s not as valued as artworks. you don’t see the taxidermist’s name in labels in museums. With some artists she worked with, they’d put in their interviews, the taxidermy is by them. so now she charges for ‘anonymity’ and for her time properly. Anyway, it was really interesting having her talk about her work and also from a local taxidermist (Hannah) who learnt by herself - from YouTube videos and research online. All the taxidermists today were under the consensus that they will not do work on an animal that has been purposely killed / sourced unethically. Hannah was talking through legalities and licenses/ many different natural sourcing including roadkill, cat kill, birds that bump into windows, old age etc.
The first two speakers spoke on certain collections in Colchester/Ipswich. It was really fascinating hearing the behind the scenes in conservation for these specimens, and seeing the sketches and notes back in the day when the collectors envisioned each case. She also brought in the case of snow buntings she was talking about in the presentation - one bird was missing and they had to X-ray the possible suspects to see which wiring technique matched that of the taxidermist - it was amazing. Pat Morris’ presentation was engaging as well, he was talking more about the social history significance of taxidermy and in particular, the work of Walter potter who I briefly looked at during my MCP research. He gave much insight into what potter was all about - not actually a very skilled taxidermist (he taught himself) but his cases of anthropomorphic taxidermy went on to become some of the most famous taxidermy out there - featuring animals with human characteristics - inspired from traditional stories and tales, etc. People also gave him things like freaks/mutations that are found in farms in exchange for a pint (his museum grew from his fathers pub)..
The last talk from Sam was very relevant as well, especially after my MCP. He mentioned some names that I was researching, like sugimoto and Dion and haraway. He was explaining how he wanted to bridge the distance between natural history and art history. they are usually considered vastly different things when really, it would be fascinating to get a dialogue going between them. he said he teaches this module of animals in art etc. And it sounded fasicnating.
rough notes: (I also recorded most of the audio)
Sophie Stevens. favourite activity, creating study skins. stuffed and used by researchers. being an animal biologist. appreciate it as art form and difficult process. early days in specimen preparation how incredible these taxidermy are. curator of natural history museums in Ipswich. visitColchester natural history museum..old church, since 1956. some historic specimens. mostly part of Essex Colchester collection. really started in fifties. local naturalists early collectors. biological records of the area. local species. Representing what people can see around them. do have few Victorian specimen. Polar bear skull. laid out in habitats. encourage people to see. family friendly displays , interactive. our role as inspiring life long ingredient in natural world. solid family audience. more modern gallery. in 2010 open. empty cases- having a museum in a historic building. do value our buildings as assets. Brings certain challenges. we’re moving our taxidermy collection into a better location. children love taxidermy don’t have squeamish quality. idea that don’t have to go on safari. can look in own garden. do have some dioramas. two. geese feeding. John ellerman foundation. to work on certain projects. specialist reviews. as moving collection, doing survey of collection. if there are star objects/ and dispose of. majority are modern bird specimens well mounted. few specimens unfinished, bad bases. do have T. E. Gunn of Norwich cases. missing specimen.. snow bunting.. curators sometimes did break cases up. is one by Gunn. bird missing, tracked down other snow buntings in review. if you can get X-ray of the birds, can see specific wiring. other suspects didn’t show the correct wiring.
right hand bird kneeling up against the other one. loose wiring. fixed to original position. very satisfying putting back the case. a curators job is never done. next task is decide which goes on display.
Karen Banton. still life, in taxidermy. working on series of projects. Ogilvie project. mostly still the same. collection from fergus ogilvie. passionate about birds. Before and draining of wetlands more people more urban, really changed. collected as vouchers liked shooting things. sportsman- naturalists. wetland birds. orchids. 1879 started collecting. in cases, egg collection. taxidermist by Gunn. inspired by booth museum. look as if they’re realistic and alive. widow ended up keeping some cases. this collection, this collection is special bc has photographs of where the bird is shot, and notes/sketches on how it to be displayed. letter considering the heron. sending sketch of the night heron in proposed case. done their best to mimic it. don’t leave label on. information of each bird without label attached. cases changed overtime. looking at sketches. Date in sketch. sketches and final case. dissection notes. how heavy the bird was. ovaries looked like. thought into what the case should look like, level of conversation happening. birds may be deposed. An attempt in recreating realistic represented. eg with brick wall. how birds were interacting with environment. also wanted to depict unusual things. Usually woodpecker very high up in trees bc predator and hunters. Note saying case is reproduction of accurate thing, very low nesting site. unusual. magpies, to the season they were shot in. very useful, sketches. which bird it was, shot and who, etc. if were to recreate in environment. Sometimes sketches show difference from actual case. resource for others to see and know what birds look like. sparrow hawk case. male female, very particular about birds that were in these cases, wanted ideal representation. never found perfect specimens for some. in sketch female is really obvious. drawings - ‘idealised version of nature’. damaged cases. baby kind of fallen over on the side.
Pat Morris. Senior lecturer royal Holloway. Very experienced speaker. taxidermy: art science and bad taste. walter potter’s curious world of taxidermy. in forty years only one talk. in London, only in museum. real wildlife. Interest in old taxidermy. In the past, showing wildlife as it is. Natural history, taxidermy is social history as well. big mammals, were actually zoo animals. had a name in zoo, but nameless in museum. Walter potter, split opinion. whimsy. Left school 14 taught himself taxidermy. bad taxidermy. wasn’t perfectionist at all. preserving some animals common around where he lived. Father run hotel. keep his stuff. interesting for visitors in pub. Pets, social history and the way we think about them. museum in 1880. became a feature of village. in early twenty century. still showing visitors personally on eighty birthday. open daily. somewhere he went as a kid. you explored the museum. Freaks, could turn up in farms. conjoined twins. if farmers had these and give them to him for a pint. Issue postcards. some people react with horror. odd. in potters day just curiosity. reprinted multiple times. attitudes towards this have changed. recreated stories in pub. ‘Happy family’ all animals are good friends. Perfect harmony. the death of cock robin. Traditional, brutish story. several verses. beetle, little needle. lots of detail. depicting human activities. Anthropomorphic taxidermy. Squirrels. Contrasting classes of humans more human like stuffed. rather than flat. puzzling over census form. the kittens wedding, dressed. toads at play. bit of movement in see saw. the village school 1888, bunnies. Exactly the school situation that potter would have been educated in. became his thing, museum very famous. single most famous piece of Victorian taxidermy. across empire. Newspaper, internationally. piece of social history being spread around. usually said, inspiration from storybooks came from potters sister. something with Beatrix potter (but she came later, but she could heard of him instead) potter might have been inspired by the great exhibition (all around world) 1851. big effort made for children to see in London. Brought by Herman ploucquet. these illustrations widely reproduced. German. the idea of animals depicting humans was actually old, might be first time in 1851 in Europe? depiction of Reynard the fox, famous woodcuts published in Germany. very familiar in Germany. one other possibility, Charles Waterton. Including for school kids. either brand new species or had developed a taxidermy method so fine that could change monkeys to men. Darwin. interesting bit of social history. stimulates different reactions in different time. Part of us now. made political cartoons. Waterton obsessed with this as well. Walter potter, waterton. potter collection was sold and dispersed. Some in america. France. taken away from social history background.
questions.
to what extent , these processes, are communicated to the public?
-information dated, no longer accurate. definitely room more about process. online access to collection. social media. individual cases stories. will be challenge. lots of gentlemen collections that form these collection. focussed on these questions habitats etc. broken up now and bc seem boring in modern display. modern stories attached to collection as well.
how important was the box/ cases?
sealed box. stay more or less constant. pests. dust. sometimes glass has been removed / thin. sometimes top. very difficult without dust. Walter potter - did all himself. painted background, people give him things that were in collection. Habitat cases broken up, birds taken out, using old taxidermy for new displays, doesn’t work but saves money. like cut up a painting. Artistically created cut up.
Hancock collection destroyed. record?
don’t cut the wires. so many specimens can’t use bc wires cut. have birds
the bull in cock robin- could be soft toy, calf skin? X ray.
celebrity animal/individual instead of species. the afterlives of animals book. recent. in which museum collectors came together. eg whales stranded.
dolly the sheep, knows now.
social media for natural history
Hannahs creatures: local taxidermist
how to get into taxidermy. she was fascinated by taxidermy in museums. next experience. 101 Dalmatians. Fashion purposes. starting to see articles online about taxidermy. seeing dead animals on the road, shame that they’re killed. deserve to be deserved. huge animal lover. picked up pigeon. scalpel. skin a dead animal. picking up roadkill. YouTube videos a lot. and research. early work were diabolical. started practicing and improvements. ebook. studio in the house. wasn’t easy. do come up against abusive people online, and criticism from other taxidermists. legalities / sourcing. roadkill- some, more intact. degree of damage. animal anatomy by dissecting roadkill, impact from chest etc. badger suicide season. also owls. / another source: window strikes- bird. clot of blood at front of skull. so fragile. dent. / controversial: cat kill. don’t stick to small animals either. / most beginners will use reptile food (mice etc.) / general license animals, humane. / washed up birds in 2018 / exotic birds - connected with breeders in UK. On stand by. live on. Animals died of non human. Animals killed humanely (pest?). we have to have a balance in nature. Legalities.. general public have no knowledge.. need a licence. keeps specimen. found legally. paperwork. Public reaction - changed for positive today. most times positive comments. more bad reaction from real life than online. ‘Only horrible people do that’ Taxidermy isn’t about killing / important in education. isn’t this macabre. social media, prime target for online hate. well-done mounts can be appreciated. what said animal looks like up close. in younger generation education animals dwindling. animals that made extinct.
jasmine. been in taxidermy since 2007.
volunteering in booth museum. natural history museum conservation. accidentally became taxidermist. Now work for museums in UK. artists and galleries and own taxidermy as well. creating objects and educational . museums have their own huge off site stores. First reason and funding when they want new taxidermy. this particular project. Cheetah. Jeremy didn’t have time to process skins. a lot of bigger animals were just shoved in buckets. wilderbeest. donkey,.. put in that liquid. had to use textbooks about how scientists use with human tissue. other taxidermists said not bother. did process and did work. To fund, had to find money themselves. events, hundred people game ten pounds. the big draw funding. Social history. First female cheetah in zoo. was making, cheetah, and invited people. Names that helped. team building experience. display. other reason, site specific. wonder cabinet. Taxidermy to be touched. or a museum doesn’t have a specific, specimen. chicken, wanted most boring. doesn’t want taxidermy that was killed unethically. scientifically very important specimen. If researcher wanted to take DNA.. and colour.. 3D printed for artists.. also does restoration and conservation. Such little funding for one of the most difficult things to care for. why natural history is completely categorised as natural history. And not a craft? taxidermists.. unless they’re important not displayed.. lose social history we’ve been talking about. In own practice talk about maker and inside of taxidermy. Cultural heritage and not just dead animal. mammal taxidermy, modern: only skin and claws attached to skin, sometimes the skull, and body in middle.. with binder.. build up your structure on frames. not as grotesque. usually women receiving this trolling. roadkill/ smell. It’s like working with fabric. Birds can sometimes be like tissue paper very patient. sometimes bones stay in. colour fades as well. why can’t we have stories of what they did in life. exhibition in horniman. moth bitten butterflies..
questions.
advances in taxidermy. now more use with plastics..
reference is key to taxidermy.
representational of animal or that animal , with social history then make that animal. generally, representation. clay that has really low shrinkage. critic clay. Air drying and can work over days. sometimes epoxy resin.
