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Wednesday, January 23, 2013

Death / Visual Art Today Is Taxidermy Day

Posted by Jen Graves on Wed, Jan 23, 2013 at 3:40 PM

Lamar is what the folks at Urban Light Studios in Greenwood call the lion they inherited from the last tenants of their building. Hes from the Teddy Roosevelt era. They dont know much more about him than that.

Courtesy Urban Light Studios photographers
Lamar is what the folks at Urban Light Studios in Greenwood call the lion they inherited from the last tenants of their building. He's from the Teddy Roosevelt era. They don't know much more about him than that.

The Internet is a taxidermic wonderland. For instance, from the World of Wearable Art contest: hedgehog bra. This bullfrog playing the accordion is a bargain at $27.50 on Etsy. Also on Etsy: Lumpy "Ghastly Conjoined Cats In Kitsch Faux Kitten Taxidermy," $165.

In Seattle, in addition to Bobo the gorilla (related story: "Bobo and the Janky Ocelot"), we have Lamar the lion on public display. He's at Urban Light Studios in Greenwood. (If you haven't been there, it's a series of stage sets that you really should see; the best time is during Phinneywood art walk from 6 to 10 pm the second Friday of every month.)

Lamar, like Bobo at MOHAI, is a major attraction. His thin, light-colored fur leaves the scars from his taxidermy stitches very visible down his belly, across his chest, and the length of his arms.

Courtesy of Urban Light Studios photographers
Lamar presides over the tiki room.

Autumn Adams of Urban Light Studios says of Lamar:

I pet him all the time. I always say hi to him, and I give him a little pet, and I like to think of him still kind of resonating in the space. He’s seen a lot. He’s seen more than we have. He’s got quite a history with this place, and he’s a part of it as much as we are. Every now and then, kids get freaked out by him, but for the most part they just stare with wonderment. Everybody seems to love him. As for other taxidermy, well, we have a really big salmon in our log cabin room. ...A trophy. It’s right above the big mirror where brides get ready.

Other prominent taxidermic citizens of Seattle?

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It hardly need be said that before embarking (in the woods) upon any program, the chamber should study and analyze possible courses of action and activities, weighing risks against probable effectiveness and feasibility of each.

Posted by tim koch on January 23, 2013 at 4:03 PM

cougar room, vito's, go

Posted by d rock

on January 23, 2013 at 4:04 PM

Jean Godden? Jean Enerson?

Posted by Fnarf

on January 23, 2013 at 4:08 PM

I don't want to brag, but my boyfriend owns one of Seattle's most prominent taxidermic citizens: Elizabeth Emu. She is actually a rhea, and she disapproves of your shenanigans.

Posted by Mary P. Traverse

on January 23, 2013 at 4:20 PM

I guess he must be Lamar. Lafcadio would have shot back.

Posted by rob!

on January 23, 2013 at 4:25 PM

I love any chance to repeat a favorite bit of Pike/Pine lore: the building where R Place is and the building next to Northwest Film Forum were both workshops of the largest big-game taxidermy operation in the world, Jonas Bros. Here's a 1964 Sports Illustrated piece on their operations here. http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/a…

Posted by gloomy gus on January 23, 2013 at 4:27 PM

Out of town but at the Audubon Society at the Dungeness River near Sequim there is some fine work, my favorite is a cougar eating Bambi. There are lots of birds and some other mammals (a fine demented racoon)

Posted by Out west on January 23, 2013 at 4:46 PM

Other lifelike animal sculptures, without the animal:

http://www.etsy.com/shop/VeganTaxidermy

Posted by j.lee on January 23, 2013 at 4:50 PM

We have a giraffe from the shoulders up. We call him Phil.

Posted by FlabioG on January 23, 2013 at 5:30 PM

the old curious shop. The little wonder cabinet in the back used to be pretty great; not sure if it's still the same set-up though. my genius buddy has a roadkill cat that he found. It looks like an h.r.geiger sculpture.

Posted by carsten coolage on January 23, 2013 at 6:13 PM

So...anybody know where I can buy bulk taxidermy eyes by the pound? I want to cover a dress with them, but I can't afford to buy them by the pair at retail prices.

Posted by Badger on January 23, 2013 at 6:13 PM