IMAGE GALLERY
REID PEPPARD
Photography by Felicity Ieraci
Interview by Joseph Delaney
Trudging over the concrete highway on our way through Bow’s studio littered industrial estate trying to find our destination in what can only be described as torrential rain, I thought it was the end; whether it was the stress of getting lost after being shamelessly thrust into the elements by TFL’s finest or the tire of the soaking wet journey, finally reaching Stour Space studios felt like an epic moment. Greeting us at the doors to her studio, Peppard’s bright and likeable demeanour was refreshingly relaxing, instantly pouring us each a cup of green tea to warm us up and getting straight into talking about what we were up to.
Having studied at the creative conveyor belt that is Central St Martins, Peppard set up her London based studio in 2008 where she now produces a range of bespoke taxidermy artworks and jewellery. Trained under a master taxidermist in Yorkshire, it’s clear when speaking about her work that she’s very passionate about what she does. We speak of the popularity of the use taxidermy in Art and Fashion over the last few years and it’s apparent that her view of this use is that if it’s going to be done, it should, which it often isn’t, be done properly; that the utmost care is taken to ensure each of her creations is made in not only a manner of quality, but in the right way, taxidermically.
The fashion world is no stranger to issues surrounding the use of animals and animal products in clothing production, and it is an issue that draws a huge divide. What’s strange is that all of the materials used in RP/Encore productions are sourced entirely ethically; no animals are harmed for the purposes of her work. They are instead found or donated, which brings an even richer quality to the work, and there is a real sense that these animals lived. It puts an entirely new view on issues of hunting the fur trade; the argument that the use of animal products is cruel is no longer relevant, and any objections made are based on something entirely different.
What was it that first attracted you to taxidermy?
I was first drawn to taxidermy because it’s one of those rare things that resides in both in the “real” and the “unreal”. An animal preserved using taxidermy has very little of the original or living animal still intact, but it’s still considered a “rat”… not “a preserved rat skin sculpted over some clay to look like a rat”. I like that a taxidermy rat has the power to evoke the same emotive response in someone as a real rat.
What prompted the decision to direct your work into something wearable?
I started making taxidermy to be worn because I wanted my artwork to reach beyond the walls of a gallery or exhibition space.
Many of the materials you use aren’t for the faint hearted, in what way do you think this has affected your outlook on the nature of death and the dead?
Death is tricky… it’s always hard to lose a pet, family member or friend. My intimate experience with the more basic anatomical/biological end of things has definitely affected how I process death. There’s no mystery there for me, which I think is probably rather unusual nowadays.
What do you hope to achieve through your work, do you create your pieces with any particular aim or aesthetic in mind?
My aim is to have my work act as a sort of societal catalyst… to tease out little idiosyncratic or hypocritical tendencies I see in our everyday lives and actions. I aim to create work that is challenging, and thought provoking… that starts conversations… that is unusual in being maybe a bit scary but still very beautiful.
You were chosen to do a window at Selfridges as one of the Bright Young Things class of 2011; how did this come about and what kind of a response have you received?
The Selfridges Creative Team approached me about the Bright Young Things project, and I’m so glad they did! Apparently there was a bit of a scandal because Selfridges has a very strict no taxidermy policy for their window displays, so I had to promise them that I would not have any of my taxidermy work featured in the RP/Encore window display. This was difficult at first, but my taxidermy tends to overshadow my jewellery work so in the end it was actually great to have my jewellery take the spotlight. On the whole I had a very positive response, but there are always people who can’t see past the whole “dead thing” element.
Do you have any new projects planned for the coming months?
Yes! Currently working on a couple projects due out this fall. The PET collection of taxidermy light sculptures and accessories will include a new collection of sterling silver jewellery. I am also looking forward to working with the COB Gallery in Camden.
