Taxidermy

[FreakAnimalFinland]

2013 book, really good one.

From style wilderness to height of cool, taxidermy has staged an extraordinary comeback. No longer confined to stately homes, stuffed animals are appearing everywhere from modern apartments to luxury department stores. High-profile artists have rejuvenated the medium and museums have dusted down their historic collections and put them back on display. Illustrated with stunning photography that explores this rich artform, past and present, this title is the most comprehensive and beautiful survey of taxidermy ever produced.

http://www.thamesandhudson.com/Taxidermy/9780500516706

Stuffed animals are appearing everywhere from chic apartments to luxury boutiques. Museums have been dusting down their collections to put them back on display, while contemporary artists have rejuvenated the practice.

This book reveals the art of taxidermy in all its weird and wonderful glory, from its beginnings as a tool of natural history research, through crazes for anthropomorphic, zoomorphic and fake taxidermy, to its rediscovery by the art, fashion and design worlds of the 21st century.

Illustrated with stunning photography that explores this rich artform, past and present, this is the most comprehensive and beautiful survey of taxidermy ever produced.

[FreakAnimalFinland]

While the book covers many aspects of Taxidermy, there is couple of flaws - if you want to call them such. As it appreciates taxidermy quite high, it fails to acknowledge morbid charm of bad taxidermy. Hardly any examples of the bizarre world of foxes that barely look like one. But done without intent to be mockery or ironic.

Another thing I wish there was, is the infamous El Negro of Banyoles! Famous taxidermist dug up corpse of bushman and made necessary preparations. This piece was on display in museum for century, until finally in 90's controversy was sparked and after decade of diplomatic work, remains was returned to his homeland and man got re-buried. Pictures? Where? This book would have been near perfect with full page El Negro.

[bitewerksMTB]

Thought you were going to say you started collecting taxidermy. There's a few shops here & there's one in Austin that has pretty much any animal you can think of.

I'm a fan of animal bones, which, can be found for free. Taxidermy is EXPENSIVE.

[FreakAnimalFinland]

Well, of course I have some. cat pawns, fox, skulls, animal skeleton,.. but certainly the zoomorphic items are most interesting for me.

[bitewerksMTB]

Is a 'cat pawn' an animal unique to Finland?

There were some TV shows documenting what went on in taxidermy shops & the stories of why people wanted their pets preserved. AMC  had a show last year of amateurs competing  against professionals. It wasn't very interesting.

I like skeletons & bones more than the entire animal. At least, for just sitting around to look at and  collect dust.

[Vigilante Ecstasy]

Is a 'cat pawn' an animal unique to Finland?

Cat pawn =

This finnish guy, Thomas Hamberg, collects and lives among stuffed animals, here's a video from his home: http://www.iltasanomat.fi/asuminen/art-1288408148168.html
(you must endure shitty commercial in the beginning).

[burdizzo]

Yes, the shelves for my CDs have bones and skulls of foxes, found around the place. I used to have quite a collection, but some of the boxes must've got lost in a move sometime...
Last summer my little Irish terrier caught a red squirrel in the yard, so I got that stuffed. This summer, the poor whore took on a combine harvester - and lost.

[tiny_tove]

http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/gallery/2013/sep/13/curious-world-walter-potter-pictures-taxidermist-victorian#/?picture=417139796&index=2

[Cranial Blast]

Well, of course I have some. cat pawns, fox, skulls, animal skeleton,.. but certainly the zoomorphic items are most interesting for me.

I've got a beaver skull. My ex wife got it for me from a native american shop in MN, it was a special item the women parted with from her own collection. The teeth on those fuckers are like proper chisels. Literally looks like I could use one to mortise out a door catch or something. There was this place I once went to in St. Paul, MN with ex wife. I'll have to figure out the name of it, as I don't remember the store name anymore, but they had an assortment of bizarre weird animal skulls, animal fetuses in jars of formaldehyde, exotic spiders wrapped up in plastic and also smelled severely necro! The gentleman who owned the establishment had these awesome big boa snakes there, he let me and the ex wife hold all of them. It was a pretty cool place and full of bizarre things! I'll try and think of the name of it in the meanwhile. I'm sure in Finland there are some cool places like that to, I'd imagine. I've got a small collection of stuff like skulls and bones and stuff like that. I try and keep that collection growing, but I think like Keith (R.I.P.) said/posted best, just before your post, something about it being so expensive and indeed he is right and finding them can be a way cheaper option and solution. I've found some random bones in the woods before, but takes more time to prepare and clean them properly of course, but finding bones free is definitely a huge plus, over buying them. Once in awhile you can luck out and find a skull where nature has naturally done most of the maceration process, but not too often I've been that lucky.

[tiny_tove]

I have a few books on the topic and this is absolutely the best
I know a few people who pick up roadkilled animals and transform them into works of art. Need to check if I find their work, I'm no longer using instagram so I lost them