A survey of British taxidermic polar bears 2001-04
February 1, 2007 6:02 AM   Subscribe

Nanoq
A survey of British taxidermic polar bears 2001-04.
posted by johnny novak (9 comments total) 1 user marked this as a favorite
 
Thanks, this is a neat find. Some are so forlorn. Wish there was more history on the provenance page - excerpts from original sources, maybe - but still a cool little site.
posted by mediareport at 6:24 AM on February 1, 2007


Aw, that one on Spike Island is so sad.
posted by ninebelow at 6:45 AM on February 1, 2007


The displacement of the bears from their space within each collection to a temporary grouping, stripped of interpretation; the photographic framing of the context in which they now exist and their multiple return in this form to a museum context, all underpin and attest to the artists' new exploration, their new hunt, which in some small way mirrors the original act; an act we would commonly now regard as destructive and entirely transgressive.

The final transgressive step would be to set fire to the walls on which these pieces hang, watch them disappear into oblivion from the heat, and then deny man had anything to do with it.

The Polar Bear is a living Dodo.
posted by three blind mice at 7:55 AM on February 1, 2007


The book version is really, really wonderful. I have it.
posted by YoungAmerican at 9:03 AM on February 1, 2007


Speaking of books, this thread and the ice art thread make me want to recommend Yuri Rytkheu's A Dream In Polar Fog. Though it isn't quite related to either post, it seems to me that some of the folks who've posted here and there might enjoy it.
posted by breezeway at 11:17 AM on February 1, 2007


Those bears sure know how to have a good time.
posted by tellurian at 4:18 PM on February 1, 2007


.
posted by tellurian at 5:26 PM on February 1, 2007


Very interesting find, johnny novak, thanks. This collection of photos from his lullabies project are also worth noting - quite beautiful.
posted by madamjujujive at 7:19 PM on February 1, 2007


So, yesterday I dreamed there was a polar bear outside the house. Then I was outside the house, racing the polar bear to the front door. The last thing I remember before waking up is that the polar bear won and was swinging its huge paw at me.

Thanks a lot. :)
posted by mediareport at 10:42 PM on February 5, 2007


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