The Anthropo-scene | Laura Cronin

About

It is now all too apparent that we are living in the Anthropocene: The way that we are living our lives, is altering the world we all live in.  The effects will be imprinted on the surface of the earth for millions of years to come. Animal lives can no longer be viewed in isolation from humanity. Even the most remote areas of the planet are being touched by the actions of every human in the modern world.

The great Victorian Taxidermists portrayed their once-living specimens within naturalistic scenes. Even then, this was not entirely honest. The increasingly industrialised world was already beginning to have a huge impact on nature, and the very act of animal ‘preservation’ was helping to drive the decimation of species.

These 19th Century works of taxidermy have been a driving force in Laura’s practice. She is fascinated by the portrayal of animal personalities within trophy pieces, decorative scenes and more scientific representations. 

Laura’s needle-felted miniature faux-taxidermy scenes, place the animal subjects within contemporary urban and ‘natural’ environments. Each one, explores the various ways in which they have become unwittingly entangled in our human lives.

Some animals look blissfully unaware of their grim situation whilst others seem to be casting judgement onhumankind.

Laura Cronin lives and works in South-East London. Under the guise of ‘Bumble & Earwig’, she has been selling her needle-felted works and undertaking commissions for 15 years.

This show marks her first solo exhibition within a gallery setting. Here, she hopes to challenge the perceptions of needle-felting as a craft and prove that it can be used for more than superficial decoration.

@bumble3earwig

@deptforddoesart