Meeting Jack Davies

Jack Davies tumblr ... For more of the interview look in the Taxidermy folder

So how did you get into Taxidermy?

Erm it started with my dad's girlfriend at the time, Sarah Hardacer. She is a artist and had a exhibition on Taxidermy. She was the one who showed me how to do it, where to source the materials and find animals.

How do you view Taxidermy then, is it art to you?

It is a artform, in the simplest way it is sculture. 

I looked at it before and there are some strange type pf taxidermy, where they mutilate animals and mix and match them with other species. 

You should look at idiots, they do that sort of work but it's beautifully created. 

What do other people think about it when they know you do it?

It's quite mixed really, people have their opinions on it. I was surprised I put a photograph on facebook of a piece I had worked on and the amount of people who said it as cruel, wrong and disrespectful. Others thinks it's really cool. 

I don't view as destroying something I see it as giving a animal a new lease of life.

I have a studio space in the broadcasting tower and have all of my equipment there. When people see me with my clamp and a dead animal the mix of responses is incredible. 

Career or Artwork?

I wouldn't like to do it full time as a career at all. I think it is art, I can never see myself doing this as a job were i get paint to stuff Mr. Tibbles. 
Rather than being a main form of my artwork, I see it as a completely normal and relevant skill that I know, in which I can use at will.


Do you have any near future plans at the moment?
At university we are having a exhibition called FLASH, which if just to view our work infront of our course. We take it in turns in groups to exhibit our work. I might do some taxidermy for that.

I'm ordering some more mice and hopefully some bigger animals soon so I'll be carrying on.

seeing taxidermy:
natural history museum. LONDON
great north museum. newcastle