Trophy Mount- Chicken by Hannah Craft

Bronze, ceramic, plastic, acrylic paint 13" x 13" x 3" Process/Concept: Trophy Mount- Chicken was inspired by the big-game taxidermy common amongst hunters; think buck, mounted on a wooden plaque over a crackling fire. While this style of taxidermy exists to commemorate a successful hunt, it also serves to eulogize the animal and celebrate its death. As the most factory-farmed animal in the United States, chickens die everyday, yet their death is seldom celebrated and rarely commemorated. Trophy Mount- Chicken is a eulogy, made in observation of the contemporary "hunt" that takes place in farms across the country. From the Artist: When choosing materials for my work, I am most interested in the perceived value of different media. As a metalsmith, I am obliged to be aware of the market value of precious metals. As an artist, I use specific materials to add perceived value to individual elements of my work. For instance, the animals I include in my work are often polished, gold-toned metal, signifying the inherent value of life. Craft mediums like metal and ceramic are also labor-intensive and time-consuming; they are representative of effort, and thus, value. The found-objects included in some of my work are sourced from second-hand shops or picked up off the ground. These previously discarded objects serve as counterpoints to the arduously hand-crafted elements.