Thursday 29 August 2013

Dear Diary... Canary Yellow

We spent last Thursday evening in Shoreditch sipping cold drinks as the summer slipped away to night and looking at... well... dead animals. Pitfield London were hosting the private view of their latest summer show - a taxidermy showcase by Kim Zoe Wagner.

Enclosed in symmetrical, square frames and mounted against brightly patterned backdrops, an array of birds create a stunning and entrancing wall display. The contrasting shades of zingy yellow and orange canaries, stuffed and pinned against comparatively muted floral prints, is an amusing context for taxidermy display. Continuing the bird-life theme of the last installation, artist Louise West’s ‘Common Birds’, Kim's birds are caged and protected in their frames as if to prevent them from taking flight. The little sculptural, wall pieces work in combination with larger free-standing, ornamental birds who perch on chairs and cushions, surveying the show.


Kim is a trained taxidermist who works to order and is one of few certified taxidermists who create cruelty-free taxidermy - none of the animals Kim uses have been killed for the purpose of taxidermy. Working to her own, ethical concerns with a technically precise hand and an added touch of humour has allowed her to develop an individual and intriguing practice. 

All work is for sale exclusively from Pitfield London. 



 












 





 All images courtesty of Pitfield.

Sunday 18 August 2013

Dear Diary... Birds of Paradise

It's summer! The Curiosity Cabinet has been on holiday but we thought we would send some exotic, faraway inspiration your way. While we're currently enjoying sizzling beaches and golden sands, we're still looking to the past for inspiration and the great voyages of the Enlightenment came to mind. When exotic birds and unknown flora & fauna were first discovered and documented by artists and explorers in 17th and 18th centuries, a lush language of printed imagery evolved.  Our pick of antique natural history prints below, are testament to the rich visual history that recorded and brought the natural world to life in European homes hundreds of years ago.

































Inspired by Art Nouveau design, the Parisian entomologist and designer Eugène Séguy created lurid illustrations inspired by antique natural history prints which were later transformed into textile designs. His scientifically accurate drawings of butterflies and insects are magnified into spectacular creations. While they represent the sublime beauty of nature, they are rendered as such that they become abstract patterns of bold colours and forms.