I have found this project very “stop, start”, but I am still very interested in the subject , however feel I have struggled with what I wanted to say. And so I thought….
Is it neccessary to use “animal materials ” in order to make your point within art?
Through my dissertation I had explored this , looking at artists that use animal materials and cause pain and suffering to animals in order to shock, and I also looked at artists that used animals as their subject but have no caused any pain or suffering.
After looking at these artists and their work, I felt I could come to a sort of conclusion that in my opinion, i do feel that using animal materials within art to express ones thoughts is highly effective, however it is not neccessary, and I do not believe that causing pain and suffering to animals is acceptable for the sake of art.
Animals are killed for food amongst other reasons and they d leave bi products such as skin and fur that we do not eat, I do blieve these SHOULD be used , so that the death of an animal is for a reason, or rather is for no reason and we shoudlnt waste those bi products.
As I have focused on the fox, this brings me to fox hunting as socially we do not eat fox, so surely I contradict myself by being all for the killing of an animal when we do not use its products, although foxes are killed in Britain as a cull, to save other species.
I shall not go into the huge debate of fox hunting in this country.
Other countries do eat fox and are killed for religious reasons as well as sport and tradition and culling, I do believe their products should still be used, even if for the sake of art.
Once an animal is dead it is dead.
This is where I focus my work, and whether I wish to use those materials within it or not. or if i can create my work without those materials and still express myself in an effective way .
I have framed a real fox face ( mask) as a starting point… I do think it is quite effective and looks striking , however I think perhaps as its behind glass, it would make no difference if this was a fake fox face, i could perhaps tell the viewer that it is real when its not.
If I am to keep the real fox face maybe I should not have it behind glass, but so the viewer can touch and feel that it is infact real, and that may shock and be more effective?
