Speculative Taxidermy

We will work with iron and wood, with wool and sawdust; starting with

the head—whose stuffing is easily removed—and the trunk, then moving

on to the body and the legs. A firm structure will be provided by iron—in

the legs and to replace the vertebrae—and pieces of wood will be readily

shaped to represent the form of the Elephant; then each part of this struc-

ture will be inspected thoroughly by myself; should it fail to reach my high

standards, the work will be taken apart and we will start again.

—ANDREW DRUMMOND, ELEPHANTINA

Do not allow your mounted specimens to look like stuffed ones.

—OLIVER DAVIE, METHODS IN THE ART OF TAXIDERMY

UNDOING TAXIDERMY

The renewed interest in taxidermy is a complex phenomenon encompass-
ing interior design, fashion, television series, contemporary art, and the
publishing field. As in the nineteenth century, when texts on taxidermy
became ubiquitous in France and Britain, we are today not only faced
with a new desire to see and own mounted animal skins, but we are also

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RECONFIGURING ANIMAL SKINS

Fragmented Histories and Manipulated Surfaces