Polly Morgan - Endless Plains

Endless Plains is Polly Morgan's most recent body of work that includes a whole taxidermy deer, hollowed out and filled with bats. 
This body of work might look grim to some, however it is a reminder to us of the way that life and death works.

As humans it is easy to sometimes be seduced by nature's beauty, thus forgetting its power and control over our lives. In Morgan's body of work we are reminded that nature is not so kind. 
What makes this work disturbing is they way that life is depicted, it is not as if Morgan has frozen time, but more like she has taken control of time, setting up the Tableau of life and death. 

Polly Morgan, The Fall,  - All Visual Arts Gallery London

The Fall is prime example of the the circle of life, the fallen tree might have died, however it gives life back to the animals in the forest. As well as allowing fungi and mosses to grow on the trees's surface. However to complete this circle the fungi is killed and eaten by the birds that land on the fallen tree. Once more the words of Barthes come's to mind once more.

"Death is the harsh victory of the race, if the particular dies for the satisfaction of the universal"

Polly Morgan - All Visual Arts Gallery London

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)