~AMBIENOISE~

Ever take a sleep aid? If you have, you know that swirly, effervescent feeling you get right before you fall asleep.

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Or...you stay awake for whatever reason...

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Then you go online shopping.

Big mistake.

Now you have next day shipping on a chandelier. Now you bought a robotic cat box that cost you $275. Then the carpet turns into an ocean, starts crashing and bending.

There's a raccoon in your backyard wearing a bikini. He's waving at you. He seems friendly!

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Now what if you could take those experiences and use it to make art- doesn't matter if it's music, painting, creepy stuffed animals.... 

Imagine the colors and the humor and the weird that would come of it.

That's Ambienoise.

Welcome to my fever dream.

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Many people have asked how in the hell did my art get to the point of making weird stuffed animals made of real animals. It's taxidermy, but taxinormy. It's taxidermy, but taxiderpy. It's huggable, loveable taxidermy. It's weird taxidermy. 

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When I was young I was fascinated with animals, science, and taxidermy. But I was always bothered by the fact that you can't touch and physically experience taxidermy.

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I first realized skinning and taxidermy might be a road for me to walk down in 2014 when I was teaching veterinary medicine. We had a wet lab which was dissecting rats for anatomy lessons and such. I was in charge of the "master"rat, the teaching aid and demo rat. First step was removing the skin... which for me was quick and easy. And off came a pelt that was perfect and without faults. My fellow instructor was wowed, and suggested I tan the pelt, and that maybe this is the stuff for me. 

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Now not all of my skins are from me tanning them, most come pre-tanned and processed. This results in some imperfect pelts - face smooshed, foot fell off, tear in the body- all things that make the pelts unique and special to me. Then I stuff 'em and hug 'em, then prepare them for a trip to your house!

My pelts are sent to me from various states and are ethically sourced and upcycled pelts. Nothing is killed for the purpose of my art. These animals are "trash" animals- destined for the incinerator or dumpster. I take the unloved and unwanted. I allow them to have purpose after death. Love. A family. 

That's why I make them huggable, pose-able, loveable (and a few squeak!)

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Yes, I do have to sometimes replace parts of these animals, make them a new leg, arm, face... But doesn't that just make them special? It makes them a collectible, experience-able, irreplaceable.