Faythe Levine recently brought my forever wandering attention to Milwaukee based artist Cassandra Smith. As you can see form these images, I stopped in my tracks. Cassandra uses Taxidermy and snack cakes in a decidedly unexpected way. Over email Cassandra explained her thoughts on her work and the ideas behind it:
"The taxidermy is sourced from e-bay
or from people who were looking to get rid of it. I try to get it
"used" for moral reasons, it makes it easier on my conscience. The
fish, however, are plastic because I wanted uniform repetition, but
it's sort of the same concept because they are plastic fish meant to be
displayed on your wall in place of actual taxidermy. With the animal
pieces I was thinking about the combination of masculine and feminine
versions of craft, and how they might be represented together. I also
realized that traditional craft, taxidermy and art are all just ways
for us to display our accomplishments and talents to other people. On
a simple level, these pieces are also about pattern and form and the
way that organic and geometric shapes and patterns play off of one
another.
For the snack pieces I
decided to ignore their edibility and amplify their attractiveness by
covering them in sequins and turning them into wall patterns. This way
they are no longer disposable or forgettable. I wanted to make them
simultaneously more attractive and less obtainable."
Besides keeping herself busy with her work, Cassandra is also co owner of The Armoury Gallery.
