9-13-09 Artist Post

My post this week is about two artists.

Nate Hill has been described as having a "God complex" and having an affinity for cutting up dead animals. He is a New York City based artist whose work revolves around the collection of dead animals and transforming them into new species of his own mind's eye. Because NYC doesn't offer much roadkill, he searches the dumpsters throughout the city and has also begun a self-guided tour for other interested artist interested in gathering dead art material.

"Chinatown Garbage Taxidermy Tour" >>>

He also commenced to head a public, collaborative, dead animal collage in the city. [[I SERIOUSLY wish I had known about this and been able to go!]]

After creating his own 'animal kingdom,' Hill began to create his very own A.D.A.M. (A Dead Animal Man) and E.V.E. (Earthly View of Eden) sewn out of dozens of animal parts. The final piece of his 'Bible rewriting' was revealed on Halloween of 2008.


^^ Nate Hill with the head of A.D.A.M. ^^

The second artist I wish to touch upon in this discussion isn't a single person, but a group of persons and their exploration of processes thousands of years ago: the ancient Egyptians and their ever-evolving techniques of mummification. First discovered on accident, mummification was the result of the intense desert heat and a lack of insects beneath the sand. The shifting sands led to confusion in burial locations and mummies were first discovered. The mummification process took hundreds of years to perfect only to fade with the dwindling numbers of experts and the high demand for body preservation.

They also preserved a vast number of animals to accompany the dead on their journey to a successful and comfortable afterlife. Below is a mummified Shrew and Ibis.



I was intrigued by the shape and texture of the animals. The precision and delicacy used in the burial of an animal is practically unmatched anywhere else on earth and anywhere else in time. They preserved both the beauty of life and death. I found the below x-ray to be even more intriguing and surprising.