Recent work by London taxidermy artist Kelly McCallum @ New York gallery R 20th Century

"I am interested in the stories of how things age, how they decay or are preserved, are forgotten, covered in shrouds of grime, only to be found again and given new meanings by our own sentimentality. Taxidermy seeks to preserve life by celebrating death: it is a strange half-live, a suspension, an illusion. Insects on the other hand, through their lives, destroy this illusion: they feed on death, breaking down, demolishing, creating movement from a silent tableau, forcing change and action." Kelly McCallum

For her biography, go to her website www.kellymccallum.com

photo courtesy R 20th Century gallery