Some artists have taken to killing animals in the name of what they call art.

In May of 2003, an art student at the Victorian College of the Arts in Australia killed a live chicken as part of a performance piece done in front of his class.

Other students in the class were not impressed, and complained about the student's actions to the RSPCA. At the time, Sue Baker, head of the arts department, stated, "We've come down hard on this student and said, 'You don't do this for art, you do it for food, and it is offensive for anything to do with cruelty to animals to be portrayed as art.'"

Unfortunately, however, gallery owners do not seem to share that point of view.

One gallery owner in Sweden said recently that in spite of protests against the actions of an artist currently exhibiting at his gallery, who likes to kill animals and call it art, "She's going to continue to make her art. Is it better to kill animals for makeup than for creating art? These people forget that art is food for the soul."

The gallery owner claimed the artist's work involving the killing of animals was "very important" and added, "I have tried to get her to try to work with larger animals, like dog's.

The galleries that exhibit the work of animal-killing artists believe that the images created using the dead animals arouse thoughts and questions that the viewers might not otherwise have had, and, therefore, these works are art.

They attempt to justify the killing of animals strictly for art by saying that the pictures reflect the shallowness and double standards held by a society which objects to animals being killed to create pictures, but not to the killing of animals for food or clothing.

An artist who recently had an open exhibit featuring animals she had killed was reported to public prosecutors by the local veterinary association for failing to have a veterinarian present when the animals were killed.

A spokesman for the veterinary association said the artist violated laws regulating the use of animals for public viewing which require that when animals are killed for the purpose of public entertainment a veterinarian has to be present to ensure the animal does not suffer.

According to some, shock artists of this sort are really just trying to attract attention and build their names, and like most children who seek attention, the more attention they receive the more likely they are to repeat the action which brought them the attention in the first place.

As one animal welfare advocate noted, if killing animals brings publicity to one artist, others might be tempted to try to garner publicity by doing the same.

Some artists who have used dead animals in their work claim that doing so shows that life and death are not opposed, but linked. Others have said that they do no more than what normally takes place in a slaughterhouse, using animals which would have ended up there anyway.

Still others have claimed they are guaranteed the freedom of artistic expression by law and that this supersedes any rights that the animals they kill may have.

Actress Brigitte Bardot, who has protested exhibits featuring the slaughter of animals, said, "I have never heard of a performance where people pay to rejoice in the suffering of animals."

Animal advocates have been contacting the ministry of Sweden to voice their protests. linky

Y'know I think I'll become an artist who uses the cruelly butchered, slowly bleeding to death, laying in a bath of salt bodies of animal killing artists as my canvas.

I'm sure the lowlife pondscum artists concerned wouldn't object, after all it's 'very important' and 'art is food for the soul'.

I'm with Gaz...

Don't forget:

'Still others have claimed they are guaranteed the freedom of artistic expression by law and that this supersedes any rights that the animals they kill may have.'

So it's constitutionally protected, Gaz. Go for it.

These so called "artists" are danger to society and should be locked up in a mental institution.

I will report this to PETA. I am sure they would deal with them accordingly!!!

This kind of thing just disturbes me. I am glad I am not alone.

i sent e-mail to PETA with link to this post. Let them read it. I am sure that they won't stand by and let this cruelty to animals continue.

I got e-mail from PETA today.

Thank you for contacting us about the artists who are killing animals either as part of their “performance art,” or those who kill and use dead animals in their displays. I have passed this information onto the appropriate PETA staff member.



We encourage people to write to the galleries where such art work is shown. We are aware of one such individual who currently has a show, and we urge you to write to the gallery directly and voice your concern over Nathalia Edenmont’s “artwork.” You may also want to read the PETA guide to letter writing at http://www.peta.org/alert/tkit.html. You can contact the gallery at:



Wetterling Gallery

Kungstradgarden 3

111 47 Stockholm, Sweden

info@wetterlinggallery.com



We also recommend contacting an animal rights organization in Sweden to find out more ways to get involved with this. Here are two:



Nordiska Samfundet Mot Plagsamma Djurforsok

P.O. Box 2005

12502 àlvsjö

Sweden

Tel: (00 46) 8 7492040



Svenska Djurskyddsforeningen

Erik Dahlbergsgatan 28

Box 10080

10055 Stockholm

Sweden

Tel: (00 46) 8 783 0368



I hope this information is helpful. Thank you for your concern.



Sincerely,



Coleen Kearon

PETA Correspondent

I hope these "artists" get what they deserve!

Screw dogs. Let's go real big and just kill people.

Oh, it's art, is it??? It is a sick, twisted, vicious inhuman act of evil and has feck all to do with art and all to do with pushing the boundaries of acceptable human behaviour well past the snapping point. Come step outside you cowardly mofo and I'll fecking well show you some art.

I will show them an art of kicking the sh*t out of them......

They better not come to London otherwise I wil do the above!! Before the RSPCA get their hand on them!

SMASHY SMASHY!

I am with you Bart!

i will hurt anyone who used animals as arts!

I really want to hurt people like that. A lot.

they will either burn in hell or come back to be tortured and killed by "artists"

Sick, sick, sick - I'm with all of you above!

G

Grrrrrrrrrrr..............

I am sure that all these "artists" were molested in some point in their lives.

old post again, does any1 what happend after the posting and if the butcher is still being called a artist?

Hopefully, he or she, mayb "it" had its privates shot off, with any luck. Then acid poured on what was left!

Stuff like that really f**** p***** me off...

any1 have a name and street addres? purely for research..and destroy