Dead art - Polly Morgan

The work of Polly Morgan is created with the use of Taxidermy animals from birds to rabbits. Much of the Taxidermy is sent to Morgan by owners of the animals or are found as road kill. 

The work is strangely inviting about recreating life out of death. 

All the animals are treated with care and become so fragile with in her sculptures, yet the animals appear to us out of context, causing the viewer to look more at the animal, despite the stereotypes that are attached to them. 

Take the rat in the glass for example, the rat is associated with death, disease and plague carrying, however when placed inside a glass under its own bell jar it becomes something very different. 

The animal now looks peaceful and gentle, the feeling of death and illness is far removed from this lavish scene.  

Its is understandable how this style of work is not to everyone's taste, but the ingenuity and beauty in the work must be rewarded. 

Morgan illustrates the inherent paradox of taxidermy. It forces us to confront death, but also makes us feel we can defeat it - superficially at least. (The Observer, 18th July 2010)