Rebecca Hossack Art Gallery

D A V I D   F A R R E R

‘Holy Cow’

Sacred Creatures from around the World

in association with Animal Rights Reserved

Rebecca Hossack is excited to present David Farrer’s sixth solo show with RHG, marking ten years with the gallery. ‘Holy Cow’ is a heart-warming and inspiring exhibition of 21 different sacred creatures from around the world. In an age of the profane, David reminds us of the breadth of cultural belief and the wonder of man’s spiritual relationship with some of the incredible creatures with whom we share our planet.

As always, humour and irony accompany charm and skill in these engaging works. Created from recycled and sustainable materials, the surface skin of these mock trophies intrigues us with everyday images; collages of current media commentary at times remind us of our connectedness, or more often, lack of it, to the world as a whole.  Western advertising, text and photojournalism are juxtaposed in a dream-like realm of colour and texture, shrouding the creatures with both familiar and exotic ephemera. The occasional inclusion of a pipe or cigar-smoking beast playfully underscores other pursuits that have faced 21^st century marginalisation.

David’s interest has always been environmental; he began creating the animal heads when living in South Africa as a subversive alternative to the controversial sport of trophy hunting, while emulating the local African tradition of appropriation from discarded materials. Some 16 years later the results are more sensational than ever.

David is delighted to be working with the charity Animal Rights Reserved, and this show is the beginning of a formal association.  The time spent with ARR when on safari in Kenya this summer, and with so many of the animals he sculpts, is evident in the energy and realism found in this dynamic new work.

www.animalrightsreserved.com

www.r-h-g.co.uk