My work explores people’s perceptions and misconceptions of animals. It’s influenced by my experiences in veterinary clinics and at the Bronx Zoo, observing how people relate to animals, and how animals are presented for public consumption. The sculptures, completely fabricated with faux fur, foam and polymer clay, walk the line between taxidermy, toy and sculpture. When I show the animals in the bare whiteness of a gallery, I strip away the artifice of “naturalism” found in zoos and museums, and allow the animals to psychologically dominate the space. The viewer, expecting to be the observer, becomes the observed.  

Once the animals are in the white box of the gallery, I seek to create that electric moment when, unexpectedly, animal and human meet each others’ gaze. The emotional connection between the viewer and animal is very important – the initial shock followed by the confusion and curiosity. The animals in my work like their wild counterparts are interested in the viewer but not overtly welcoming, precipitating a meeting fraught with tension and uncertainty.