CUSTOM  CREATURES

By Staff Writer Kate Hodges

How did you get into taxidermy?

I’m not exactly sure how I got into doing this type of work, but I know it all started pretty innocently. I started with collecting rocks, then fossils, then bones, then dilapidated vintage taxidermy mounts. It’s been a gradual evolution over the years. Dead things have always been a source of fascination from my earliest memories.  My parents always told me not to play with dead animals, but I couldn’t keep my hands off them. Although, my artist-hippie parents did encourage my interest in the natural world and wildlife. They also nurtured my artistic abilities. I guess I always wondered what things looked like on the inside. I think my parents still secretly wish I’d taken that curiosity to a more lucrative level - like a surgeon. But instead I attended the Minneapolis college of Art and Design in the late 1980’s and my interest in anatomy and natural history began to manifest it’s self in my paintings and sculpture. My work incorporated found objects and animal remains. I learned techniques of preserving the animal remains I used in my work through trial and error. I also began renovating old antique store taxidermy finds during my college years. Then I figured “what the hell, I should just learn the whole process from start to finish”. So I decided to buy a few books and teach myself the entire taxidermy process. The rest is history

How did you move into making the kind of pieces you are doing now?

I’ve always had a hard time keeping things “between the lines”. The first thing I ever mounted was a 2 headed squirrel. Each subsequent mount just got weirder and weirder. I will occasionally mount a bird or small game animal in a traditional/normal manner, but I concentrate exclusively on the more outlandish pieces. I’ve always been infatuated with circus sideshows and freaks of nature. Most of my current work reflects that interest. I have my own private “odditorium” in my home. So initially I was mounting the fake freak animals for my own collection since real 2 headed calves were out of my price range and hard to find. Then I discovered there was a market for these faux freaks, or “gaffs” as they are called in the sideshow business.

How would you describe your art?

I consider myself an artist first, and a taxidermist second. I still haven’t found an all encompassing term for what I do that I’m comfortable with. When pressed to define it in social situations, I call it “taxidermy sculpture”. Although some of my more recent works don’t actually involve the animal hide, just the preserved carcasses. So they technically are not taxidermy. The word “taxidermy” literally translates as; “taxi” to move, “dermy” dermis(skin). So the word describes the process of moving or stretching the animal skin over a mannequin/armature. I describe my skinless mounts as “carcass art”.

What kind of people buy your pieces?

Much of my work is as humorous as it is outrageous, so I have a somewhat diverse client base. I sell pieces to anyone from a goth urban vampire, to a forward thinking grandmother. But my client base is mostly tattoo/piercing shop proprietors, sideshow collectors, and people who simply collect unusual taxidermy items.

Has anyone famous bought them?

I hope so! but I don’t know. I fantasize that Marilyn Manson has purchased a piece under the guise of some unassuming pseudonym. If not, Mr. Manson, please buy one so I can cross that off of my “Things to do before I die” list. Also - Ted Nugent if you’re reading, I made that squirrel liquor decanter with you in mind!

What are the most popular animals, in your experience?

I would have to say that my most popular pieces involve squirrels. Most people have a love/hate relationship with them ( they’re cute as a button until they’re nesting in your attic) Squirrels enjoy some sort of special status with humans. Maybe it’s the fluffy tail, even though they really are rats that live in trees. ( Rats are cool too. I think more people would give them a break if God hadn’t ripped them off with that scaly pink tail, opposed to cute fluffy one he gave the squirrel ) I may be using squirrels in my work for the same reason advertisers use them to endorse everything from breakfast cereal to car insurance - anything utilizing a squirrel is intrinsically humorous and disarming. If a mount ends up being “humorous and disarming” rather than scary, a larger percentage of the general population will think about purchasing it. Although I don’t consider my clientele to be your average Joe, so I don’t try to tame my work down to make it more appealing to the general population.

What’s your favorite piece you’ve made so far?

Hard to pick one, they’re all my babies, even if I’m no longer their legal guardian. I think it's a toss up between the 3 headed “Franken-Squirrel” and the Siamese twin squirrels fighting over a nut. The Siamese twins are a comical piece - 2 squirrels from the waist up, and one squirrel from the waste down. One Squirrel is yanking the nut out of the other squirrels hands. Franken-Squirrel, or Frankie as I lovingly refer to him as, is a mount created from several squirrels that were united surgical staple style, complete with Frankenstein bolts in their necks. Some body parts still have the hair, and others ( like the heads ) are naked and pink. He’s a real looker.

Take us through what taxidermy involves?

A lot of blood (occasional mine), sweat, and tears. A strong stomach. And most importantly, for myself anyway, respect for the animals you are working with.

What do other taxidermists think of your pieces?

I guess I’ll find out if you print any images of my work in the article! In general, taxidermists doing traditional sportsman’s mounts don’t take me seriously. Although, I think it’s not only what I’m doing that discredits me in their eyes. I believe being a woman is part of it. It seems that many taxidermists I’ve run across are members of the “good ‘ole boy” club, and think of taxidermy as a male profession.

Who do you think was the greatest taxidermist of all time?

Hands down, Walter Potter. A genius and visionary taxidermy artist during the late 1800’s/early 1900’s. He “illustrated” fairy tales and scenes of every day daily life in elaborate dioramas. Instead of human characters, he used animals. Scenes such as, guinea pigs playing a game of cricket, kittens having a tea party, and a grade-school classroom filled with baby bunnies. Many of his animals were dressed in elaborate apparel. Their accessories ( forks, pencils, eyeglasses, etc.)  re-created in astonishing detail. The intricate dioramas were incredibly labor intensive and his attention to detail was mind-blowing! The indoor scenes look like rooms in a Victorian dollhouse - fully furnished, all the way down to the smallest accouterment. The outdoor scenes were outfitted with perfect miniature tress and beautiful hand-painted backdrops of fields and clouds. Truly enchanting works of art that quite possibly could disarm even the most staunch animal rights activist in this absurdly “politically correct” era.

What is the appeal of taxidermy, do you think?

Humor and shock-value. Although I never create anything with the intent of being shocking. I sometimes think of my work as 3D “scream therapy”. I just need to express something that’s been brewing and it often emerges in a way many may find grotesque. I think working with flesh, bone and skin has desensitized me to the effects if has on the average person. I think what I create is art. I think the inside of something can be as beautiful as the outside. And things can be as beautiful in death as in life. But it takes an open mind and a sense of humor to view my work in the same light as I do. I always reiterate the source of my materials and my love of animals to my viewers. I think people need to know a little bit about me and my intentions in order to fully appreciate my work. I don’t do anything to the animals that I believe is disrespectful. I’m giving them a second life.

Where do you get your dead animals from?

None of the animals I use are hunting trophies or were killed for the purpose of using them in my projects. Specimens are roadkill, discarded livestock, destroyed nuisance animals, casualties of the pet trade, or died of natural causes. I don’t merely recycle my aluminum cans - I adhered to a strict "waste not, want not" policy in my studio as well. Virtually every part of the animal is utilized in some fashion. 

Have you ever refused to stuff something?

No, but on occasion when shopping around for frozen animals for my projects, I’ve refused to purchase from people due to the inhumane manner in which the animal died.

Do you ever get squeamish?

The only things that gross me out are “eye boogers”. I can down a bloody steak or plate of spaghetti watching the surgery channel or while in my studio skinning out a dead cat. But that’s not something I share on a first date!

What animal would you most like to stuff?

I believe I may need further training and credentials, not to mention a good connection at a morgue.