Be Thankful
Glazed in beguiling dark humor, this taxidermy sculpture has a serious message that rings even more true today than it did when I originally made the piece ten years ago. As most of you likely have heard, the population of Earth just reached 8 billion. In the span of a mere decade since this sculpture was created, an additional billion humans now live on the planet. Below is the statement that accompanied this sculpture the first time it was exhibited in 2014 in a themed exhibition titled Fruitful and Multiplying – The Overpopulation Exhibit. So much for progress.
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TITLE: Turducken à la Monsanto MATERIALS: Domestic duck, turkey, and rooster skins
“This piece is a commentary on the absurdity and entitlement of gourmet foods, the privilege of being able to allocate food for the purpose of art, and the disconcerting technology of interspecies grafting performed by the bioengineering industry. The strain on our planet's resources has become immense as the population of Earth crests 7 billion. With a tipping point looming, genetic engineers are creating hybrid species of livestock and crops designed to produce the highest yield possible while using the least amount of resources. The reality is many developing countries do not have the means to utilize this controversial technology and only an elite portion of the Earth's population will profit from these so-called advances. We live in a country rich in all resources. It enables us to use food towards a myriad of frivolous ends, including our entertainment. We create designer cuisine that is more about status than it is about sustenance, and we feed human quality food to our pets. While we enjoy our luxury foods, for much of the world just having food is a luxury.” ~
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I recently culled a number of works from my personal collection to offer for sale. This sculpture is among a handful of others that are now available. Link here for price list
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