The controversial subject of taxidermy

One of my flatmates studies jewellery design at LCF and has a particular fascination with the use of taxidermy within her work. With the help of certain celebrities (primarily the crazy accessories of Miss Lady Gaga), I believe this old traditional skill is becoming increasingly popular. It disgusts and repels many and I’m split between this negative opinion and that of interest and intrigue. I am definitely a fan of Noble and Webster’s Isabella Blow sculpture at the National Portrait Gallery. It’s so perplexing and skilled how a spotlight shone onto what appears to be a ball of stuffed birds, rats and snakes can translate into a vivid shadow silhouette of Blow’s head. I don’t think I would necessarily like to parade around with a stuffed rat attached to my hair, but I can really appreciate the clever use f the animals within this work.