I posed her mid egg-lay, with one already out. I wanted the eggs to be hatching, and unique. I drilled many, many holes and set tiny little gems all over the shell. This can be very stressful but I used to decorate hollow eggs quite frequently as a little girl and have kept my fingers nimble so I found the experience rewarding.
Of course, all the muscle memory and dexterity in the world can't save me from my inner klutz and I rested my hand in a paint puddle which I then brushed against the hen and parts of the base. When I saw this happening I freaked out and dropped the entire thing, egg shells and all. Miraculously, nothing broke and the paint came off.
Here is a close-up of the hind-section of Mrs. Hen. It's kind of gross but I consider it a valiant effort to accurately portray the "birth" of an egg. I'd like to try again, now that I have more experience to build upon.
I will decide upon a title for this piece today...the term "Typical Birth" kept running through my head as I was creating it. This is mostly because I overheard a trifling and pretentious old witch of a gallery owner/NY art scenester exclaim very loudly that my work was "SO TYPICAL" at the show in Brooklyn. It really stung...and I've thought about it quite a bit. After so much reflection though, I realise that I'm not insulted by what she said. I know my work isn't typical. Yes, taxidermy is on the rise- especially the subgroup that my work falls into but there are many nuances which set my pieces apart from the rest. I think what bothers me most is the way she announced it so flippantly, surrounded by her little circle of employees who know where their bread is buttered so they smile and nod and humor her while she carries on her one-woman show. I suppose I could've made a dig at her, like "Those who can't DO, critique." but I know that's not entirely true and what would that accomplish? I think when I saw her lapping up the attention of all those around her and mistaking it for genuine respect, I was reminded a little of myself in my more obnoxious, drunken look-at-me moments. And I was grossed out. I suppose I should thank this woman for inspiring me to be a better person.
Obviously, I haven't let it go for one reason or another, but it's got me exploring the concept of "typical" and wondering when is it ever a good thing to be refered to as. Regardless, "Typical Birth" sounds boring. Perhaps in Italian?
nascita tipica
Not bad. If all else fails I'll just go with plan B and call her "A Good Lay".
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