Pickled Pets - Taxidermy Art

[Nominus Experse]

*Although not graphic, some may not be able to stomach seeing skinned or mummified creatures. So those with sensitive stomachs or affiliations with cats, rats, goats, pigs, etc..., it may be best to not view the web page.

While surfing the net this day, I came upon a most interesting webpage, which happened to be titled Custom Creatures: Taxidermy Arts (http://www.customcreaturetaxidermy.com/intro/intro.html).

What struck me interesting about this site is that it offers preserved, mummified, and other embalmed sorts of artworks. She seems to make art by setting creatures in interesting poses, making a scene of several creatures, or combining creatures to formulate pieces.

The best section of the website is the Fantasy Section.



But my real intention of this thread is this:

Would you purchase, if you had the means to, artwork like this? Or is taxidermy, let alone this type, not something that you can stomach or simply do not care for? Or is taxidermy meant for trophies, not displaying some kind of morbid artwork?

Or do you even consider taxidermy to be artwork at all?


Personally, I would purchase a few pieces like this, such as Capricorn, but having more than one would make my house feel like some strange Ripley's Believe It or Not episode...

[Rocket Edge]

I've never seen art like that before. But no, it bugs me.

[Nominus Experse]

I've never seen art like that before. But no, it bugs me.
It's worth mentioning that all the displays she creates are from roadkill or otherwise already slain creatures. Basically, she does not make active moves to kill the creatures: rather, she simply collects their remains and creates displays out of them.

And I would think that most, if not all, taxidermists are the same way (just that most taxidermists make trophies from game and whatnot). But then again, this style of taxidermy is unique, so it may differ in some ways of collection and the like...

[Shlup]

Haha, neat. I like the fantasy section.

Of course, I love the Body Worlds exhibits so this kind of thing is my bag.

I wouldn't have it in my home though. Nice place to visit, but I don't want to live there.

[RiseToFall]

That's just creepy, seeing that in my house would freak me out.

[Nominus Experse]

Haha, neat. I like the fantasy section.

Of course, I love the Body Worlds exhibits so this kind of thing is my bag.

I wouldn't have it in my home though. Nice place to visit, but I don't want to live there.

It also reminded me of Body Worlds, only on a much smaller scale. God, how I desire to see that exhibit some day...

Well, it seems that my house will be a most interesting residence at any rate...

[black orb]

>>> The fantasy work is awesome, I`d love to have a chimera in my room..
I didnt like the pickled pets though..

[Shlup]

It also reminded me of Body Worlds, only on a much smaller scale. God, how I desire to see that exhibit some day...

It's fantastic. You just can't appreciate the detail of the human body unless you see it in person. I'd go see it again in a heartbeat.

One of my friends does amateur taxidermy as a hobby. A few years ago he collected some dead mice from the pet store and made them into a little band. It was cute. He has dibs on our hedgehog (he's my hedgie's daddy) when he dies.

[fire_of_avalon]

There's a preserved bears head in my old basement. It creeps me out. This stuff creeps me out more. I reckon it's neat to see. But not to keep. Not for me, anyways.

[The Summoner of Leviathan]

My parents have a stuffed hawk in their room. Basically one day my dad came upon the bird with an injured wing, then one thing led to another and my parents kept the bird (Do not ask me how, this is long before I was born). When it died, which was not long after (or so I assume), my dad got in stuffed.

Pickled things would be gross....reminds me too much of Biology class. *shivers* Last week in our Demonstration room there was an eel, a cart, fetal rat and a human fetuses all pickled. It was creepy.

[Miriel]

I think it's disturbing. But at least she doesn't run around killing animals to do this like that other whacked out lady. You know, the crazy chick who mutilated animals and put them up for display. Ew.

[Anaisa]

It's disgusting. An totally disrespectful.

[Chemical]

Depending on where and how these people get their animals....

I wouldn't mind this sort of taxidermy around my office/study/secret laboratory.

If you look at it the right way it's no longer an estranged object of disgust... but rather a beautiful dedication to the science of anatomy.

[theundeadhero]

It doesn't disturb me, but I would not like to own any dead stuffed animals.

[Nominus Experse]

It's disgusting. An totally disrespectful.
How is it disrespectful?

[Anaisa]

It's disgusting. An totally disrespectful.
How is it disrespectful?Their playing with an animals dead body. How is that not disrespectful. If I found a dead person at the side of the road, had them stuffed, an put them in my house for decoration, you wouldn't think there was anything wrong with that?

[Nominus Experse]

It's disgusting. An totally disrespectful.
How is it disrespectful?Their playing with an animals dead body. How is that not disrespectful. If I found a dead person at the side of the road, had them stuffed, an put them in my house for decoration, you wouldn't think there was anything wrong with that?
No, simply because I hold no attachment to my body once I am dead. It is my belief that if there is a soul or some other spiritual or otherwise transcendent form of self, it does not stay within the body upon death's coming.

Essentially, to me, once the body dies, it is nothing more than a pile of atoms.

When you said it was disrespectful, I thought that you would say what you did. And I can understand why - most would and do. Nothing wrong with that. We all have different outlooks.


Additionally, I have always held a strange fascination with the dead, so it's nothing much different to me.

[Anaisa]

It's disgusting. An totally disrespectful.
How is it disrespectful?Their playing with an animals dead body. How is that not disrespectful. If I found a dead person at the side of the road, had them stuffed, an put them in my house for decoration, you wouldn't think there was anything wrong with that?
No, simply because I hold no attachment to my body once I am dead. It is my belief that if there is a soul or some other spiritual or otherwise transcendent form of self, it does not stay within the body upon death's coming.

Essentially, to me, once the body dies, it is nothing more than a pile of atoms.

When you said it was disrespectful, I thought that you would say what you did. And I can understand why - most would and do. Nothing wrong with that. We all have different outlooks.


Additionally, I have always held a strange fascination with the dead, so it's nothing much different to me.I don't believe a soul stays with the dead body either. But I don't think you should have the right to start treating dead bodies like decorations without the persons prior consent. An animal can't give it's consent, so they should show some respect an leave it alone.

[Nominus Experse]

It's disgusting. An totally disrespectful.
How is it disrespectful?Their playing with an animals dead body. How is that not disrespectful. If I found a dead person at the side of the road, had them stuffed, an put them in my house for decoration, you wouldn't think there was anything wrong with that?
No, simply because I hold no attachment to my body once I am dead. It is my belief that if there is a soul or some other spiritual or otherwise transcendent form of self, it does not stay within the body upon death's coming.

Essentially, to me, once the body dies, it is nothing more than a pile of atoms.

When you said it was disrespectful, I thought that you would say what you did. And I can understand why - most would and do. Nothing wrong with that. We all have different outlooks.


Additionally, I have always held a strange fascination with the dead, so it's nothing much different to me.I don't believe a soul stays with the dead body either. But I don't think you should have the right to start treating dead bodies like decorations without the persons prior consent. An animal can't give it's consent, so they should show some respect an leave it alone.
You do have a point.

The way I see it, however, is that an animal is not that of a human, and thus does not recieve the same "rights". Cold and callous, perhaps, but it is how I view things. As animals are consumed for meat and other products, so to their dead bodies can be used for artistic endeavors.

But again, there is a definate point in what you say: the animal cannot give consent, so in many ways, it's like robbing their corpse.

The thing is, it doesn't bother me in the slightest.

[Quindiana Jones]

It's not as bad as the jar cats.

No. Anyone who buys that crap should just kill themselves.