2024-Ongoing

Stuffed Animals focuses on the intricate and sometimes unsettling role that taxidermy plays within American and Texan cultures, where it occupies a unique space between tradition, identity, and decoration. In these cultures, the preservation of animals through taxidermy has historically been both a symbol of mastery over nature and a marker of status, often displayed as trophies or ornamental pieces within homes, offices, and public spaces. Through my lens, I aim to dissect the cultural narratives embedded in these meticulously crafted objects and explore how they serve not just as memorials to the wild, but as adornments that shape our understanding of life, death, and heritage.

In the American and Texan landscapes, taxidermy often takes on the role of decoration, a means of expressing masculinity, wealth, and a connection to the land. The images I create emphasize the juxtaposition between the lifelike quality of the animals and their transformation into decorative artifacts. The subjects I photograph range from majestic deer heads to exotic game animals, their natural beauty captured in stillness, now elevated to objects of pride and ornamentation. The choice of taxidermy as a subject is both a reflection on humanity's desire to control and remember nature and an invitation to reconsider our connections with the living world.

By focusing on the excessiveness of taxidermy, I seek to highlight both the artistry and the underlying tensions between respect for nature and the commodification of it for decorative purposes.