As promised last week, I'd like to focus on a few more artists who do interesting things with animal and nature imagery, evoking myths and folktales of shape-shifting, metamorphosis, and transformation. The first of these is Amy Ross.
Amy Ross was born in New Jersey, and now lives and works in Boston, Massachusetts. She trained at the School of the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, 1998 -- 2000. Prior to this, she earned a degree in Religious Studies from Connecticut College and a Master's in Theological Studies from Harvard Divinity School. Her art has been extensively exhibited in museums and galleries across the United States.
"I am interested in the idea of artist as mad scientist," says 
Ross. "My drawings offer visual hypotheses to the question: what would happen if the DNA sequence of a plant or mushroom were spliced with that of an animal? Using graphite, watercolor, and walnut ink on paper as well as directly on gallery walls in site-specific installations, I portray animals morphed with branches, mushrooms, berries, and blossoms, thus forming implausible hybrid creatures. These images subvert the traditional genre of botanical illustration by approaching the close study of the natural world through the lens of genetic engineering and mutation gone awry."
You can see more of this artist's magical work on the Amy Ross website, and on her NatureMorph MySpace page.
These are great! Wonderful work and ideas!
Posted by: Suzanne | July 25, 2007 at 07:01 AM
I love the leggy morel!
Posted by: Grey Walker | July 25, 2007 at 08:02 AM
What a wonderfull artist! I'm fall in love with fantasy world expecially the fairies. I love the delicate touch of this artist and her concept of art.
Posted by: Silvia | July 26, 2007 at 12:04 AM