Fauna and Flora - Thesis Art Show

My thesis show was on display from December 7-11, 2012, at the Samuel Dorsky Museum of Art in New Paltz NY. It took 4 1/2 years but I am finally graduating. The work in this album took a year for me to create.. going through trial and error to finally execute everything as I envisioned them in my head. The death masks are symbolic of remembrance and were a way for me to document some of the animals I work with. The coyote and deer display the cyclical connection between life and death and growth from decomposition; displaying mosses and ferns growing from the bellies of the animals. The word cannulated references cannulated cows or cows with windows in them. Cannulation is a process in which surgical incisions are made into the cow's stomach in order to study the animal's digestion. It is commonly done at colleges and universities with agricultural studies programs. Recreating this process in my own way, I was able to create an internalized structure to house the mosses and ferns. Literally having it growing and thriving inside the mounted animals.

delayed update! death masks, wrapped mounts, deer!

fox death masks

using a carcass as reference to wrap a body.

 roadkill baby fox.. stuffed with wood wool and clay. going to be used in a diorama.

 this was the doe that had the fetuses inside

 long haired doe

 fawn

 mutant, devil, fanged deranged, weird doe!

 roadkill raccoon

roadkill coyote