PHOTO BY: Tessa Angus
StyleNest take five minutes out with cult British artist, Polly Morgan to find out what it’s really like to be one of the world’s leading taxidermy artists.
Famed for her exquisite taxidermy art, from tiny birds peaking out of telephones to squirrels curled up in martini glasses, Polly Morgan’s work is instantly recognisable. The London-based artist has just upped sticks from Britain to LA, where she’s become a creative resident for travel brand, onefinestay.
Here, we chat to her about the move and find out just how she has made taxidermy her profession.
How does one get into taxidermy?
I would recommend doing what I did and finding a teacher/mentor to learn from. It is possible to learn from books but you’ll save time with an instructor. The most important thing is to practice hard and, a cliché but true, don’t be afraid to make mistakes, as they’re the best things to learn from.
Your creations are thought provoking, beautiful and macabre all in one. Where do you get your creative inspiration?
In short, I don’t know. I am asked this frequently and I try to find an answer but I’m never certain it’s the truth. All I know is I’m more likely to come up with good ideas if I’m not in the studio keeping myself busy. It’s only when I walk my dogs or take a weekend away or even sit still for half an hour that thoughts are able to creep in.
You’re currently working with travel brand, onefinestay as a creative resident. Tell us a little about that?
It was great timing when they approached me as I was planning a trip to LA that month anyway. To have the opportunity to stay in a home rather than a generic hotel was something that really appealed. The house was beautifully esoteric, well equipped and made us feel like locals, rather than tourists in just another hotel.
As part of the collaboration you will be donating a work of art to one of onefinestay’s homes. Which piece did you donate and why?
While I was in LA I found an old tree, growing on the pavement on La Cienega Boulevard, the roots of which were lifting and splitting the pavement placed above. It spoke to me on two levels; one about LA and the tension between artifice and wilderness that exists so beautifully there. The other, that the idea of life fighting through and bursting out is something I address time and time again in my work. The picture is a detail of the rising pavement, the root and the curb beneath. I have chosen to mount it on black sandpaper partly because it’s something I’ve been using lately in collaged works but also because the black stuff glistens like a constellation. The grittiness matches the road depicted within whilst also bringing to mind the stars; a metaphor for the people and ambition that exists in LA.
You’ll be staying in one of the brand’s LA homes. What are some of your highlights from the trip so far?
Going for a hike in Topanga Canyon, seeing the view from the open air restaurant in Soho House, and eating offal at Meat restaurant
You grew up in the Cotswolds and now live in London. Where do you call home?
London is home but I do have increasingly strong country cravings and my ambition is to buy some land and build a house in the countryside within the next five years.
What’s your home and interiors style? Is you house full of taxidermy?
At the moment I live above my studio. My studio is cluttered full of tools, paints, chemicals, rubber compounds and works in progress. Because of this, I have chosen to make my flat modern and minimalist in style. At the end of the day, I climb the spiral staircase out of the chaos into a much calmer, light filled space with a few selected works of art and taxidermy decorating the walls.
Do you ever get squeamish during your work?
On rare occasions; if the animal has recently died and has maggots or ticks on it, or if it has started to decay and smells bad. Generally I can’t work with anything that is decaying so it’s rare for this to happen. My overwhelming feelings are of awe and intrigue, especially if it’s something I’ve not worked with before.
Are there limits to your work? Have you ever had an idea in your head but physically not been able to execute it?
Yes, but I would never write anything off. The great thing about art is that, as it doesn’t have to function, anything is possible. I sometimes just need patience to wait for the right animal.
Death is a regular theme throughout your work. What is it about death that you find so intriguing?
It is simply a question of logistics; I can’t perform taxidermy on a living animal so I have to wait for it to die in order to do so. It is actually life, and the struggle to go on living is what fascinates me.
Which other artists do you admire?
Paul Noble, Sarah Lucas, Fischli & Weiss and Paul McCarthy.
What was the last book you read?
A biography of Frank Lloyd Wright.
How will you be spending Christmas this year?
With my mother, stepfather, sisters and their children in the Cotswolds.
Your work has been snapped up by the likes of Damien Hirst and Banksy is said to be a fan. How does it feel to be admired by such celebrated contemporary artists?
It’s always particularly flattering when another artist buy my work, especially as we can be harsh critics.
Describe your perfect day off.
I’m not good at taking days off. I have to put physical distance between myself and my work in order to relax. Saying that, it would probably involve heading down to my boyfriend’s and a long run or walk with my dogs, followed by lots of sushi and a film.
Polly Morgan is one of the first creative artists involved in the onefinestay creative residency program. Go to www.onefinestay.com to apply.