Nathalia Edenmont
Nathalia Edenmont, born in Yalta, Ukrainian SSR, Soviet Union, in 1970, is a Swedish-Ukrainian photographer who since 1991 lives in Stockholm .
Edenmont's art is considered very controversial because her works are partly composed of parts of dead animals that she photographs.
Edenmont's art is considered very controversial because her works are partly composed of parts of dead animals that she photographs.
On the blog Manifesting Partiality, one reads:
Russian photographer Nathalia Edenmont is noted for killing and stuffing mice, rabbits and cats, among other animals, for the purpose of photographing them adorned with aristocratic collars, mounted perfectly on angelic pedestals or worn as finger puppets. Being described as beautiful, haunting and occasionally kitsch, Edenmont’s work sets itself apart from other art due to the simple shock factor that the subjects are dead. If she feels like cleverly replacing the stamen of a flower with an eyeball, an animal dies. This process might gain her infamy and possible financial stability, but the balance of life is tedious at best, and the fact that the animal world is in no way benefiting from her success, is somewhat deplorable.
Russian photographer Nathalia Edenmont is noted for killing and stuffing mice, rabbits and cats, among other animals, for the purpose of photographing them adorned with aristocratic collars, mounted perfectly on angelic pedestals or worn as finger puppets. Being described as beautiful, haunting and occasionally kitsch, Edenmont’s work sets itself apart from other art due to the simple shock factor that the subjects are dead. If she feels like cleverly replacing the stamen of a flower with an eyeball, an animal dies. This process might gain her infamy and possible financial stability, but the balance of life is tedious at best, and the fact that the animal world is in no way benefiting from her success, is somewhat deplorable.
WUSSIAN WABBITS
ART WITH FLOPPY EARS AND FLUFFY TAILS
an interview with Nathalia Edenmont by Bjorn Bjork for VICE
Nathalia Edenmont is a 30-year-old Russian artist who has been bashed by literally everyone for the crime of making of art with dead bunnies. She gets hate mail from militant vegans, Nazis, and even regular people who say things like: “That’s not art!” And all she does is take really cutesy photos of dead rabbits. Big whup.
Vice: So I’m guessing you aren’t a vegetarian?
Nathalia: I was a housewife for years, and the only thing I ever did was cook. So no, I’m not a vegetarian. I love salad with tofu, but I love lobster even more. I used to cut up animals all the time when I was a housewife, so why not do it for my art? And I always use perishables — it’s not just fresh, but alive. And I’ll only use the heads and the eyes. That’s actually the only part I’ll do all on my own, I’ll have assistants helping me with everything else.
Where do you get your materials?
I buy rabbits from a farm. The animals there are a bit deformed since they’re all just going to be transported to a factory where they will be made into restaurant food. If you look at the eyes that I’m using you can see that they’re misshapen.
Why the fascination with rabbits?
I’m Russian, and in Russia wearing fur is a birthright. If you can’t afford mink, you get rabbit. When I was a kid I thought it was fun to play with my pet bunny rabbit, and at the same time I liked my rabbit hat. I thought they were equally cute.
What are your favorite animals?
Dogs and horses. I own a spider and snakes too.
BJORN BJORK