Troy Emery describes his work as “fake taxidermy,” which is a perfect description. Using high-density taxidermy foam, he covers forms in resin, yarn, pompoms, and more. With names like Wooly Woofter (above), they straddle the line between being an exotic animal and completely recognizable. Troy’s work is centered around the idea of collecting animals. Using different but equally outrageous elements, his sculptures thematically fit together. This is further explained in his artist statement:
Troy Emery creates suites of artworks where dislocated animal forms are brought together as a collection through a uniform approach in their construction and materials, becoming pastiches of each other and the idea of a collection of animals itself. Troy Emery’s work is about how the history of our relationship with animals is underpinned by our ability to give meaning to them and use them in allegory and metaphors.
A tension between decoration and representation is present when looking at animals. They are not only living creatures: Animals can be seen as decorative objects. Pets decorate living spaces, furs decorate the body, animal patterns decorate furniture, taxidermy decorates the museum diorama, and hunting trophies decorate the hunter.
All images via his website.
