Lisa Black: The Beautiful and the Dead

While her classmates were busy painting fruit bowls, Lisa Black was burning Barbies and stringing them up with barbed wire. As her name might suggest, Black has always been interested in the dark, the unconventional.  “My fruit bowls were shockingly bad,” she admits and adds that she was unable to be inspired by the popular idea of “art.” But when a broken taxidermy fawn presented itself at a rummage sale, Black saw beauty where others saw creepy or gross. 

Lisa Black’s series, “Fixed,” is a body of work that features taxidermy animals (often found broken) that have been modified, or fixed, with mechanical parts such as antique hardware or old clock parts. The fawn, for instance, has a sewing machine bobbin for an eye and a bionic knee. It may not be difficult to imagine why work that features dead cute things has garnered both criticism and extreme praise. Lisa explains, “combining the beauty of animals with the cold juxtaposition of machinery for some people creates an adverse reaction. The most I can do is assure that the animals used in my work were not killed for the purpose of using them for my art. I have a great respect and appreciation for animals. However, my aim is not to celebrate the beauty of animals or their death as other taxidermy artists propose, but simply to offer an aesthetic deviation.”

Delving beyond the assumptions the images themselves present, we learn that Lisa Black loves her animals. “The concept is that one day animals may be held in such high regard that the complete fabrication of organs and limbs for injured creatures is justified. Maybe because we've blown everything else up.”

When asked how she handles the criticism, Lisa says, “It's a common story. Many unconventional artistic concepts offend people for varying reasons. I consider it crucial to remain resilient and committed to your work in order for your vision to emerge whether the result be socially acceptable or not.”

A real example of an artist who works for art’s sake, Lisa says she was never intending to make money or gain attention for her work. “I turned my ideas into a 'actual project' because I was inspired by a concept and felt like it was something I would truly enjoy doing.” Lisa says she stays focused out of passion for what she does.  “I have always been interested in animals, anatomy and robotics. The combination of these things has been an exciting progression and so the motivation to stay on track is easy.”

Her reward comes in the form of finding other people who appreciate her work. “I understand that some people need to have a positive outlook of our world and our future existence for solace and therefore my ideas may not sit right with them. However, I have found that there are many who share the same curiosities as I do. It is great to hear when people appreciate my work and I love to hear when it produces an original outlook, inspires an opposing idea of our existence or simply hear my baby deer amusingly named ‘fawnicator.’"