Dead Smart

Rest a Little in the Lap of Life (2005)

Still Life After Death (2006)

Polly Morgan is a taxidermist turned artist. She is known as 'Britains Hottest Bird Stuffer' and can count Kate Moss, Banksy and Stella McCartney as fans. So who exactly is she?

It was Morgans love of animals which intitally attracted her to taxidermy. Frustrated with the taxidermy artworks available on e-bay she took matters into her own hands and learnt how to 'mount' (ie stuff) an animal- a gruesome task to most but to Morgan it's as arbitrary as washing the dishes.

Eventually, she began taking photos of her subjects. Unlike typical taxidermy photographs, Morgan removes her subject from it's natural habitat so as to impress a new perspective on the viewer. Curiously, Morgan makes no attempt to bring her animals to life. They lay dead, completely still or propped up against something. A little macarbre yes but the result is a collection of strikingly beautiful photographs.

See her work at online.

Rob Ryan

You may not be familiar with the name Rob Ryan but you may be familiar with his artwork. Ryan's distinctive papercutting and screen printing images have graced the covers of books, CDs, magazines and now his own fairy tale book, This Is For You. Based in London, Ryan is fast becoming one of the hottest artists in the UK and is at forefront of the pop art scene in London.

Ryan's charming papercuts are delicate works of art cut from the smallest scapels on the finest paper. Images of flowers and fountains, birds and leaves, lovers and hearts and couples kissing are prominent motifs as is a theme of solitude and childish innocence. Text features heavily in the majority of his works and adds an emotional aspect to this images. For example, a recent papercut features the words 'Every Beat of My Heart' cut into the chain of a heart-shaped necklace with singing blackbirds encased. His wifes' intials are at the top of the necklace.

This Is For You, Ryan's first book, is the tale of a lonesome man who has lost his place in the world, and who sets out on a magical papercut journey, through jewel-coloured landscapes, to rediscover his sense of belonging. It is a folkstory for adults and children alike and it is utterly endearing.

Ryan's work is available to purchase in his shop, Ryanstown, on Columbia Road, London or from his website: http://www.misterrob.co.uk/.