primera natale

bare bones - how


Nathalie shows the dismembering of a dead stork to retrieve the bones for her creations. (If you are a bit squeamish, you are advised to skip this.)

 

Nathalie: “Friends called me on the phone: ‘We have a dead stork on the driveway, you want it?’ ‘Great!’ I replied, ‘be there in a sec’. They know about my art so the question wasn’t that strange. I jumped in the car with a big plastic bag and rushed to collect it before any flies or stray dogs would find my new treasure. Luckily I was there in time and I could see that the stork wasn’t dead for long. How the stork died I don’t know, I could only hope he had a good life and didn’t suffer too much dying. The only thing I can do is to make good use of his bones and make beautiful sculptures with it. This means I first have to do the messy job of dismembering the bird, but when you look inside and see all the organs, muscles and bones, you have to admire the beauty of nature.

warning icon  Warning: Graphic Images.
  Many of these photos are graphic in nature and some people may find them disturbing.

After cadavers have been suitably prepared, it is time for her art. "I begin fitting the good bones together to make a new creature”, she explains. “I like to put cruelty and beauty together, you see, to show people that you can find beauty from cruelty.”

In every creature I make, there have to be several different animal bones: cat’s skulls with rabbit’s jaws, bird’s bones, fish bones. I then cover the creature in 24-carat gold leaf, so that it has the highest value in this day and age. Silver wouldn’t be good enough. It has to be gold – and the creature has to stand for itself; have an attitude; have its own name.

"My cats will keep helping me with my work”, Nathalie smiles. “They are forever bringing home tiny skeletons…” Definitely weird, but once it has all been prettied up and re-created, Nathalie’s Golden Creatures speak for themselves. They are little works of art. The exquisite creations of a singular imagination.

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It is the mission of Nathalie Abbing to instil a deep respect and knowledge of the craft of art in its many forms. If you have any questions about her work or would like to purchase a piece, please contact us.
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