Happier Hunting Ground BY Antionette Ratcliffe

Jun 26, 2019

Happier Hunting Ground

Named after the pet funeral service and cemetery in Evelyn Waugh's 'The Loved One', Happier Hunting Ground explores our individual subjective experiences anthropomorphising the connections between animals as we spend time with them. Whether it be looking out the kitchen window at the host of sparrows that visit the punga tree regularly or watching a cat enter a room looking for their housemate, these observations make us feel like we get a small insight into their 'to-do list.'

Antoinette Ratcliffe's exhibition features her taxidermy made from ethically sourced animals and taxidermy based photography made over the last three years. Each animal given to her came with a story from the person who had tried to save it or found it, which have informed the final compositions.

Antoinette completed her Master of Arts at The School of Media Arts (Wintec) in 2011. She began learning taxidermy in 2014 and introduced the media into her artwork the following year.

Antoinette's practice explores anthropomorphic association using a variety of media, including her taxidermy, where the animals find themselves in relationships created out of circumstance. She only uses ethically sourced animals for her taxidermy and photographs, many of which come with a story.

The concepts of memento mori continue to influence Antoinette's current body of work, giving the pieces an awareness of a quiet and sometimes sinister suspense, while maintaining a whimsical aesthetic.

Antoinette has taxidermy pieces in collections held by NZ Bird Society (Auckland), and she is currently working on educational collections for Zealandia and Upper Hutt Predator Free Trust.

Antoinette has been a veterinary nurse since 2006, and a member of the New Zealand Taxidermy Association since 2015, attending workshops taken by World Taxidermy Championship award winners Mike Orthober and Dale Manning. Most recently she attended private tuition with Peter Wells of Wildmount Taxidermy, who is well known for his taxidermy pieces at Te Papa, Otago Museum and DOC