I have a particular fondness for rabbits (as evidenced by the bunnies, hares, and rabbit girls who pop up so often in my paintings and books), so I'm always intrigued when rabbits appear in work by other artists. The picture above is an MFA Thesis installation created by sculptor Beth Cavener Stichter in a warehouse in Columbus, Ohio. Called "tremble, shiver," Stichter's compelling use of rabbit imagery couldn't be more different than my own work...and as such I find it especially intriguing. Here's what Stichter has to say about her sculptures of rabbits and other animals:
"There are primitive animal instincts lurking in our own depths, waiting for the chance to slide past a conscious moment. The sculptures I create focus on human psychology, stripped of context and rationalization, and articulated through animal and human forms. On the surface, these figures are simply feral and domestic individuals suspended in a moment of tension. Beneath the surface they embody the impacts of aggression, territorial desires, isolation, and pack mentality.
"Both human and animal interactions show patterns of intricate, subliminal gestures that betray intent and motivation. The things we leave unsaid are far more important than the words we speak out-loud to one another. I have learned to read meaning in the subtler signs; a look, the way one holds one's hands, the tightening of muscles in the shoulders, the incline of the head, the rhythm of a walk, and the slightest unconscious gestures. I rely on animal body language in my work as a metaphor for these underlying patterns, transforming the animal subjects into human psychological portraits."
To see more of Beth Cavener Stichter's powerful art, and to read about her work process, please visit her website, follow the black rabbit. Through July 22nd, you can see Stichter's work exhibited in "From the Ground Up" at the Smithsonian's Renwick Gallery in Washington DC.
To learn more about rabbit and hare folklore, here's an article on the subject from the Endicott archives. You'll find other artists and writers who use rabbit symbolism listed in this blog post from last October.
Those are great! Holy cow that would be alot of work to produce all those rabbits. Unless, of course, they..you know...multiplied on their own! :)
Posted by: Carl V. | June 29, 2007 at 05:28 AM
Looking at these rabbit sculptures reminds me SO much of _Watership_Down_ by Richard Adams.
You think, "Hey - rabbits. How cute!!!" Then you really get into the book and discover that it is a fairly dark tale. Even the movie had a creepiness to it that showed you these were definitely NOT fluffy bunnies.
Similarly, _Tailchaser's_Song_ by Tad Williams did the same thing for me with regard to cats.
The detail of the cultures, myths, and rituals in these two books really sucked me and they remain two of my favorite 'adult' animal tales.
Posted by: Rob Blake | June 29, 2007 at 05:41 AM
Thank you so much for sharing....I too, am I rabbit/hare fan, bordering on obsession. :-) Absolutely beautiful work, and so thought provoking.
Posted by: carisa | June 29, 2007 at 06:02 AM
This sculpture also reminds me of the opening (and I think ending) chapters of _Contact_ by Carl Sagan - the scenes where Dr. Ellie Arroway is driving through the desert and seeing the hares and jackrabbits sitting up to pay attention (homage?) to her as she passes them.
And THAT scene reminds me of all the drives I took out in the Big Bend area of West Texas ... and all the huge jackrabbits we'd see just about everywhere we went - esp. in the evenings. And they pretty much did the same thing Dr. Arroway's did. Of course, this was years before _Contact_ was a glint in Sagan's eye.
Posted by: Rob Blake | June 29, 2007 at 07:20 AM
Wonderful sculptures! I am reminded of a few weeks ago when I was watching four hares chasing each other in a nearby field (Scotland)...they were haring about(excuse pun) oblivious to being watched, one came up close to within a few feet of me and stood and stared with its deep brown eyes before running back away towards the others...wonderful to see such wild creatures up close.
Thanks also for creating this fascinating Endicott Blog site!
Posted by: Suzanne | July 01, 2007 at 01:55 AM
Carisa:
I followed your link back to your own art website:
http://www.carisaswenson.com
Charming work! I particularly like the lovely Selkie painting.
Posted by: Terri Windling | July 02, 2007 at 01:08 AM
Lori Fields is another wonderful artist who also uses rabbit in her work. We did a post on her in March:
http://endicottstudio.typepad.com/endicott_redux/2007/03/index.html
Also, you might be interested in the MySpace page created by "Mr. Proteus," containing a mix of rabbit imagery, haunting photographs, equally haunting music, and political text:
http://www.myspace.com/mrproteus
Posted by: Terri Windling | July 02, 2007 at 02:07 AM
I am also incredibly inspired by Beth Cavener Stitcher. I started making a series of rabbit sculptures in 2005 and then saw her work and was awestruck. Her recent show in New York was amazing......
Posted by: Darla Jackson | October 10, 2007 at 07:37 PM