Regular Morbid Anatomy readers are probably already familiar with the work of Dr. Paul Koudounaris, the incomparable author/photographer behind the amazing book Empire of Death. This Friday--October 11--The Morbid Anatomy Library is thrilled to be hosting Mr. Koudounaris for an evening dedicated to jeweled sacred skeletons as explored in his newest book, the heavily illustrated (see above) Heavenly Bodies. The evening begins at 8 PM, but we highly recommend you come a bit early to secure a seat, as Paul's lectures are usually standing room only affairs.
If jeweled skeletons are not of interest, Morbid Anatomy has many more offerings in the weeks and months to come, including a new walking tour (Forgotten Dark Histories of Lower Manhattan, October 19); bunches of new taxidermy classes including one devoted to the legendary Jackalope (November 3); a class in Halloween prosthetic make-up (October 20); a class in the making of sugar skulls (October 13) and much more.
The images above are all © Paul Koudounaris as featured in a recent New York Post piece on his new book Heavenly Bodies.
Full info follows on all events and workshops; Hope very much to see you at one or more!
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Heavenly Bodies – Jeweled Sacred Skeletons of the 16th Century
Illustrated lecture and book party with Dr. Paul Koudounaris, with music and artisinal cocktails by Friese Undine
Date: Friday, October 11
Time: 8:00
Admission: $8
**Copies of Heavenly Bodies will be available for sale and signing
Location: Observatory, Brooklyn (543 Union Street (at Nevins), Brooklyn, NY 11215)
Tonight, Dr. Paul Koudounaris--author of Empire of Death, the definitive book on ossuaries--will present a heavily illustrated talk based on his new book Heavenly Bodies: Cult Treasures and Spectacular Saints from the Catacombs, the story of skeletons discovered in the Roman Catacombs in the late sixteenth century.
These largely anonymous skeletons were presented as the remains of Early Christian martyrs, and treated as sacred. They were sent to Catholic churches and religious houses in German-speaking Europe to replace the holy relics that had been destroyed in the wake of the Protestant Reformation. Here, the skeletons would be carefully reassembled and richly adorned with jewels and precious costumes by teams of nuns. Intended as flamboyant devotional items, they are now considered some of the finest works of art ever created in the medium of human bone. As time passed, faith in these sumptuously decorated skeletons--once an important part of the spiritual life of many people--wavered, until finally they were cast out during the Enlightenment as remnants of a superstitious and embarrassing Catholic past.
Largely forgotten in the annals of religious history, Dr. Koudounaris gained unprecedented access to religious institutions where the surviving decorated skeletons are held. His photographs are the first that were ever taken of many of them, and the images which will accompany his lecture are bizarre, moving, and beautiful.
Dr. Paul Koudounaris holds a PhD in Art History (UCLA) and has taught classes at numerous universities and published in magazines throughout the world. He is the author of The Empire of Death, the first illustrated history of charnel houses and religious sanctuaries decorated with human bone. Named one of the ten best books of 2011 (London Evening Standard), it has garnered international attention for its combination of unique historical research and stunning photography.
Photo: Photo by Dr. Paul Koudounaris, tonight's speaker, from his new book "Heavenly Bodies."
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Sugar Skull Decorating Workshop and Lecture: Dia de los Muertos in Context
Workshop and lecture with Dru Munsell
Date: Sunday, October 13th
Time: 12.30 - 5
Admission: $50
Produced by Morbid Anatomy
******Offsite at The Fabricoscope (41 Willow Place, #2, 11201 Brooklyn) (MAP) Subway: Court St, Borough Hall, Jay St. Metro Tech
*** Must buy a ticket here: http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/468984
Mexico's rich relationship with death extends far beyond its renowned Dia de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead, a holiday related to Catholic All Souls' Day in which the spirits of the dead are enticed back to the land of the living with traditional food and drink, elaborate altars, and sugar skulls (see image). Indeed, from Mexico's indigenous Mayans, to the artwork of José Posada and the cult phenomenon of Santa Muerte, to today's über-violent drug wars, death has taken a prominent role in the formation of the country's culture, leading scholar Claudio Lomnitz to single out Death herself as the symbol of Mexico's national identity.
Today's event will celebrate and plumb the history of Dia de los Muertos with a lecture followed by a sugar skull making workshop. The lecture seeks to contextualize this enigmatic holiday, framing what is often thought of as the Mexican version of Halloween within the greater context of a culture that has blended indigenous practices, Spanish Catholic beliefs and responses to revolutions and violence, leading to an embracing of death as a necessary part of life rather than a specter to be avoided and feared.
In the workshop, attendees will be provided with a blank, undecorated sugar skull, fully assembled, dried, and ready to decorate. Royal icing in bright colors as well as other traditional decorative materials such as sequins and colored foils will be provided. Each attendee is encouraged to bring any personal decorating items they wish to use if they are making a skull for a specific departed individual, though smaller items are recommended. Traditional themes and patterns will be discussed, as well as decoration application techniques. At the end of the workshop, each person will have their own large sugar skull to take home. Because of the drying time involved with the royal icing, it is advised that skulls be left to dry and set. Extra blank skulls will be available for purchase for those interested, as well as directions for making the royal icing recipe that is recommended for skull decoration.
Dru Munsell is a biological anthropology degree candidate at Columbia University specializing in forensics, pathological human anatomy, and cultural fetish and taboo. She examines these topics in her thesis on the intersection of science and spectacle as literally embodied by both the "born different" and "working acts" of sideshow and circus performance. Dru currently works as an intern for the Morbid Anatomy Library as well as a scientific consultant, archivist, transcriber, and Jane-of-all-Trades for James Taylor's Shocked & Amazed: On and Off the Midway. After completing her studies, she plans to either work with the governmental agency, DMORT, doing body identification at scenes of mass death with a particular interest in the mass graves of post-colonial revolutions and genocides in Latin America, or running away and joining the circus.
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The Vampires of London: A Cinematic Survey
Illustrated lecture with Mark Pilkington, Strange Attractor Press
Date: Tuesday, October 15
Time: 8:00 PM
Admission: $10
Presented by Morbid Anatomy
In late 1969, as Swinging London entered its terminal phase, reports began to emerge of a tall, malevolent entity prowling the decaying gothic splendor of London's Highgate Cemetery. Wielding stakes, crucifixes, garlic bulbs and a lot of crushed velvet, a group of local youths invaded the cemetery in search of the supernatural; newspapers quickly picked up on the story and so the legend of Highgate Vampire was born.
In this heavily illustrated presentation, Mark Pilkington looks at the many themes and influences – cultural, social and geographical – that made the appearance of The Vampire an eerie inevitability. Armed with a wealth of stories, photographs and film clips – from Hammer classics and Pathe newsreels to period television and Mondo obscurities – Mark will add flesh to the bones of this undying monster.
Mark Pilkington is the author of Mirage Men and runs Strange Attractor Press.
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Death Salon, Los Angeles, California
A weekend symposium devoted to to discussions of mortality and its cultural implications with special programming by Morbid Anatomy and The Order of the Good Death
Dates: October 18 - 20
Full info and registration her
S C H E D U L E
Friday, October 18, 2013
8:00 PM
The Order of the Good Death
Death Salon Cabaret
Bootleg Theater
2220 Beverly Blvd., Los Angeles
Death Salon Cabaret with talks, music, and short films hosted by Lord Whimsy with speakers including Paul Koudounaris, Author of The Empire of Death; Bess Lovejoy, author of Rest in Pieces: The Curious Fates of Famous Corpses; Lindsey Fitzharris, Wellcome Trust Postdoctoral Research Fellow; and Sarah Troop, host of The Cabinet of Curiosities Podcast. There will also be musical performances by Jill Tracy and Adam Arcuragi. More details can be found here.
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Saturday, October 19, 2013
Morbid Anatomy Day
11 AM-6 PM
A one day, open-to-the-public Morbid Anatomy pop-up event which will explore the interstices of art and medicine, death and culture with screenings, a mini-symposium, a lecture on fin de siècle Parisian death themed cabarets with recreations of their classic drinks, and a panel on saints and mortification of the flesh.
11-1: Morbid Anatomy Anthology book panel of mini lectures, Midnight Archive screenings and panel discussion moderated by Lord Whimsy featuring:
Colin Dickey, Author of Cranioklepty; Co-editor of The Morbid Anatomy Anthology
Caitlin Doughty, Ask A Mortician/The Order of the Good Death
Joanna Ebenstein, Founder of Morbid Anatomy
Richard Faulk, Author of Gross America
Mel Gordon, Author of The Grand Guignol and Voluptuous Panic: The Erotic World of Weimar Berlin
Evan Michelson of TV’s “Oddities”
Paul Koudounaris, author of Empire of Death
Ronni Thomas, The Midnight Archive
1-2: Lunch
2-5: Obliterated Bodies, Dissected Souls: Panel Moderated by Colin Dickey
Mortification of the Feminine Flesh: Elizabeth Harper
From the fatal anorexia of St. Catherine of Sienna to St. Rose of Lima's hidden crown of nails, self-inflicted pain has become part of a well-worn path to holiness for many Catholic women. However, these shocking acts become comprehensible and even logical when seen as a response to the transformation of the Church from the egalitarian early Christian church to the strict patriarchy of the Catholic Church as we know it. This change, coupled with Catholicism's unique views on death and martyrdom have lead many holy women to believe that to perfect a woman's soul, her body must be destroyed.
The Annihilated Saint: The Signifying Body of Bartholomew: Colin Dickey
Colin Dickey discusses images of torture in the cult of Christian saints, particularly Saint Bartholomew, who was flayed alive and who is regularly depicted holding his own skin. Inverting the traditional relationship of torturer and powerless victim, Christian imagery turned the act of torture into empowerment, where specific methods of torture became iconically associated with specific saints. As the cult of the saints waned, these images of torture began to filter into European consciousness in bizarre and fascinating ways, as Bartholomew's singular torture found its way into the lexicon of Renaissance anatomy textbooks, creating a new relationship between the sublime body and the dissected corpse.
Bringing Out the Dead: The "Anatomy Art" of Gunther von Hagens: Allison de Fren
Filmmaker/media scholar Allison de Fren discusses the corporeal displays of controversial German anatomist Gunther von Hagens. Using examples from both his traveling exhibition of human cadavers, Bodyworlds, and his UK television series Anatomy for Beginners, she will show how von Hagens recycles the visual motifs of Renaissance anatomy theatre and art to resuscitate the practice of public dissection for contemporary audiences
5-6: ”Cabarets of Death” : Lecture followed by fin de siècle Parisian death-themed cabarets cocktails from original recipes with Mel Gordon
Highly illustrated lecture with reprints of the Cabaret du Néant’s menu and a recreation of their classic drinks from original recipes.
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Anthropomorphic Insect Shadowbox Workshop with Former AMNH Senior Insect Preparator Daisy Tainton
Date: Saturday, October 12
Time: 1 – 4 PM
Admission: $75
***Must buy ticket at http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/463168
This class is part of The Morbid Anatomy Art Academy
***Offsite at The Fabricoscope (41 Willow Place, #2, 11201 Brooklyn) (MAP)
Subway: Court St, Borough Hall, Jay St. Metro Tech.
Today, join former AMNH Senior Insect Preparator Daisy Tainton for Observatory's popular Anthropomorphic Insect Shadowbox Workshop. In this class, students will work with Rhinoceros beetles: nature's tiny giants. Each student will learn to make--and leave with their own!--shadowbox dioramas featuring carefully positioned beetles doing nearly anything you can imagine. Beetles and shadowboxes are provided, and an assortment of miniature furniture, foods, and other props will be available to decorate your habitat. Students need bring nothing, though are encouraged to bring along dollhouse props if they have a particular vision for their final piece; 1:12 scale work best.
BEETLES WILL BE PROVIDED. Each student receives one beetle approximately 2-3 inches tall when posed vertically.
Daisy Tainton was formerly Senior Insect Preparator at the American Museum of Natural History, and has been working with insects professionally for several years. Eventually her fascination with insects and love of Japanese miniature food items naturally came together, resulting in cute and ridiculous museum-inspired yet utterly unrealistic dioramas. Beetles at the dentist? Beetles eating pie and knitting sweaters? Even beetles on the toilet? Why not?
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Forgotten Dark Histories of Lower Manhattan : A Walking Tour
Date: Saturday, October 19th
Time: 3:00pm - 5:00pm
Admission: $20
*** Must pre-order tickets here: http://forgotten-dark-histories-nyc.eventbrite.com/
Max. number of attendees: 25
Meeting Point: Bowling Green, in front of the National Museum of the American Indian
This tour is approximately 2 hours in duration and one mile in length. Runs rain or shine, except in cases of severely inclement weather (e.g. hurricane). In case of cancellation, rain date will be Nov. 2, at the same time.
Today, learn about the ghastly, strange and shockingly dark history of Lower Manhattan on a walking tour which wends its way through the oldest parts of New York City. On this tour, you will visit the site of Barnum's American Museum, which unwittingly became its own horrific spectacle during an eerie disaster in 1865; encounter lingering guests at one of New York's oldest and "most haunted" taverns; learn about the violent uprisings from when New York was still a slave state; hear the tale of New York City's very own Burke & Hare, and the riots that followed in their wake; discover the ironic meaning of the "Holy Ground" behind St. Paul's Chapel; learn about the dissolute actor who sold his head to science (while he was still alive!) and much more.
Andrea Janes is a writer and tour guide who lives in Brooklyn, New York. Her interest in urban history and terrifying tales led to her career of conducting walking tours of macabre locations in New York City. She is also the author of BOROUGHS OF THE DEAD: New York City Ghost Stories. The book is a work of fiction, but in the course of her research, she discovered the city was a wealth of ghostly, gory stories, and decided she wanted to share them with the world. Find out more at www.boroughsofthedead.com.
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Halloween Prosthetic Make-up Class with SFX Expert David Rodriguez (Mindfeargorefx)
Date: Sunday, October 20
Time: 1:00pm - 6pm
Admission: $80
*TICKETS MUST BE PRE-ORDERED HERE: http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/476489
***Offsite at The Fabricoscope (41 Willow Place, #2, 11201 Brooklyn) (MAP)
Subway: Court St, Borough Hall, Jay St. Metro Tech.
What are you planning to be for Halloween this year? Avoid that last minute "vampire" costume with this special effects makeup class! From slit throats to dermatological diseases, SFX Expert David Rodriguez will help you create an original and spooky costume of your very own using the techniques made famous by the great Hollywood film studios. Each student will leave with several prosthetic wounds/masks suitable for Halloween and the skills to make their own pieces in the future.
This 5 hour workshop will include :
Introduction to materials and tools (such as wax, latex, gelatin and tubing) and their application; students will also learn to make bald caps and mix convincing blood.
Skin and Burns Tutorial – Students will learn to apply latex and gelatin to create convincing 1st to 3rd degree burns and blisters as well as other skin diseases and conditions.
Zombie FX Tutorial - Students will learn the techniques of great zombie makeup, from the freshly dead to the extremely decomposed.
Casualty and Wound Tutorial – Students will learn how to mix thick blood and create entrails; they will also learn the art of spectacular cuts, scrapes and bruises as well as basic blood effects.
The price will cover all materials, including :
Makeup pallet with basic colors
Latex
Gelatin
Sponges
Armature for creating mask
Brushes
Blood
David Rodriguez is a self taught New York makeup artist, Trained in traditional Fine Art and Medical Illustration at schools such as Art and Design as well as SVA always inspired by horror and film he began doing special effects and makeup for the New York indy film scene learning from production to production eventually working with such companies as MTV, Cartoon Network, Showtime, HBO and Syfy channel working with the show Face/Off and nearly being a contestant. He now owns and operates Mindfeargore FX a makeup and Special effects stdio providing a line of quality services and products ranging from prosthetics to animatronics for the Professional and amateur costumer, Filmmaker, performer, LARPer and Cosplayer.
Image: Tony Laurent putting on horror makeup for show at the Grand Guignol Theater” by Hans Wild; found in Life Magazine. Source: HERE.
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Reliquary Wax Doll Workshop with Artist and Ceroplast Sigrid Sarda
Date: Saturday, October 26th
Time: 11:3 – 6:30 PM
Price: $350
Must RSVP via sigrid.sarda(at)gmail.com to sign up.
This class is part of The Morbid Anatomy Art Academy
***Offsite at The Fabricoscope (41 Willow Place, #2, 11201 Brooklyn) (MAP)
Subway: Court St, Borough Hall, Jay St. Metro Tech.
Wax artist Sigrid Sarda has returned for a special 2 day class teaching the art of doll making. This class will revolve entirely on the creation of a wax doll in the image of the student’s chosen saint with the relic of their choice.
The wax doll represented as a human figure has always fascinated man. In early times these dolls were connected to witchcraft, magic, exorcisms for priests, and effigies. For this class they represent talismans and reliquaries for the student’s own personal interpretation of the saint’s meaning. The doll then becomes an object of prayer and veneration.
Each student will receive a handmade wax doll by Sigrid, either male or female and in turn will learn to set eyes, root hair, color the skin tone and add special physical quirks the saint may have, an example being stigmata or a particular wound. The student will then realize their own decorated costumes for the saints using patterns in the art of Victorian paper clothes making for dolls.
This class will consist of:
short talk on the history of the wax doll and everyone’s chosen saint and what it
means to them.
inserting glass eyes
rooting hair
Lunch break
rooting hair, beginning of skin coloring and adding any special physical quirks.
followed by
finish up skin coloring and quirks
insert / add relic
lunch break
make and decorate clothing for doll
dress doll
Materials are included though the student is expected to bring their own relic. The relic can be a lock of hair, a fingernail, bone, anything that has meaning to the student. The trims, spangles and paper for the costumes are either antique or vintage as are the glass eyes.
The dolls will be approx 6"-8".
Sigrid Sarda is self taught in the art of ceroplastics. She has been featured on such programs as The Midnight Archive, TV's Oddities, and has exhibited in London and NYC. She has an upcoming residency at The Gordon Museum in London, recreating the Black Dahlia for NoirCon 2014 and will be giving a demonstration in the art of medical wax moulage for The New York Academy of Medicine this fall.
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Anthropomorphic Mouse Taxidermy Class-Halloween Special with Divya Anantharaman
Date: Sunday, October 27
Time: 12:00pm - 6pm
Admission: $110
*TICKETS MUST BE PRE-ORDERED AT http://halloweenmousetaxidermy.brownpapertickets.com/
***Offsite at The Fabricoscope (41 Willow Place, #2, 11201 Brooklyn) (MAP)
Subway: Court St, Borough Hall, Jay St. Metro Tech.
Anthropomorphic taxidermy--a practice in which taxidermied animals are posed as if engaged in human activities--was an artform made famous by Victorian taxidermist and museologist Walter Potter. In this class, as profiled by the New York Times, students will learn to create--from start to finish--anthropomorphic mice inspired by the charming and imaginative work of Mr. Potter. Your final project might take the form of a bespectacled, whiskey swilling, top hat tipping mouse; or perhaps a rodent mermaid queen of the burlesque world? With some props and some artful styling, your mouse can become whatever or whomever you want; this is the joy of anthropomorphic taxidermy.
*In this special HALLOWEEN edition, the usual selection of miniatures and props provided for student use will be supplemented by some extra spooky bonus items. Students are also welcome to don costumes and other festive attire (but it is in no way required). To further celebrate one of my favorite holidays, we will end the class with a dark cocktail and delicious treat :) Again, Halloween spirit is not required, but sure is fun!*
This class will teach students everything involved in producing a fully finished mount, including initial preparation, hygiene and sanitary measures, fleshing, tail stripping, and dry preservation. Once properly preserved, the mice will be posed and outfitted as the student desires, with a selection of props and accessories provided. Students are also encouraged to bring their own accessories and bases. All other supplies will be provided for use in class.
Each student will leave class with a fully finished piece, and the knowledge to create their own pieces in the future.
Divya Anantharaman is a Brooklyn based artist whose taxidermy practice was sparked by a lifelong fascination with natural mythology and everyday oddities. After a journey filled with trial and error, numerous books, and an inspiring class (Sue Jeiven's popular Anthropomorphic Mouse Taxidermy Class at Observatory!), she has found her calling in creating sickly sweet and sparkly critters. Beginning with mice and sparrows, her menagerie grew to include domestic cats, woodchucks, and deer. Recently profiled on Vice Fringes, the New York Observer, and other publications, she will also be appearing in the upcoming season of Oddities-and is definitely up to no good shenanigans. You can find out more at www.d-i-v-y-a.com
Also, some technical notes:
We use NO harsh or dangerous chemicals.
Everyone will be provided with gloves.
All animals are disease free.
Although there will not be a lot of blood or gore, a strong constitution is necessary; taxidermy is not for everyone
All animals were already dead, nothing was killed for this class.
Please do not bring any dead animals with you to the class.
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Jackalope Taxidermy Class with Rogue Taxidermist Katie Innamorato
Sunday, November 3rd
Time: 12 – 6 PM
Admission: $250
***MUST RSVP at katie.innamorato [at] gmail.com
This class is part of The Morbid Anatomy Art Academy
***Offsite at The Fabricoscope (41 Willow Place, #2, 11201 Brooklyn) (MAP)
Subway: Court St, Borough Hall, Jay St. Metro Tech.
This class will introduce students to the process and techniques behind more advanced basic small mammal taxidermy. Students will learn how to skin, prep, preserve, mount, and position the animal. Attention will be focused on how to properly split, turn, and position rabbit ears. Basic armatures will be used and custom made forms (made by me) will be provided. Students will learn how to make a custom body for their specimens using an old traditional taxidermy technique of wrapping a body. Using the carcass for reference, students will learn how to build up and craft the bodies. Pre-sculpted antlers or antler tips will be provided. Students encouraged to bring in any props they may want to dress the animal up in. I will provide all specimens, materials, and tools for the class. Each student will leave with his or her own finished mount.
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Katie Innamorato, artist and Rogue Taxidermist, is a member of the M.A.R.T. or Minnesota Association of Rogue Taxidermists. She is professionally and self taught in taxidermy; winning awards and ribbons every year at the GSTA. She explores the commercial relationships between animals and our society and her work questions the idea of bringing nature inside. She also examines the cyclical connections between life and death, and growth and decomposition. As with all M.A.R.T. members she adheres to strict ethical guidelines when acquiring specimens. She uses roadkill, scrap skins from other taxidermists and the garment industry, and donated skins to create her artworks; almost every part of the animal is utilized.
Her work has been featured recently on the new Science Channel show, "Odd Folks Home," on the hit Science and Discovery Channel TV show, "Oddities," and exhibited at La Luz de Jesus Gallery in Los Angeles, CA.
Her website and blogs-
www.afterlifeanatomy.com
www.afterlifeanatomy.tumblr.com
www.facebook.com/afterlifeanatomy
www.etsy.com/shop/afterlifeanatomy
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Death in America and the Green Cemetery Movement
An Illustrated lecture by funeral director Amy Cunningham
Date: Thursday, November 7
Time: 8:00 PM
Admission: $8
Location: Observatory, Brooklyn (543 Union Street (at Nevins), Brooklyn, NY 11215)
Each year in the U.S., the death care industry buries enough formaldehyde to fill eight Olympic sized swimming pools, enough metal in caskets form to rebuild the Golden Gate Bridge, and enough concrete in burial vaults to construct a two-lane highway running halfway across the country. While our cemeteries are rich with national and local histories, natural habitats and remembrances of the dead, they’re also a blazing locus of waste and pollution.
In tonight's illustrated lecture, funeral director Amy Cunningham will share the history of American death practices from Victorian family-centric rituals to contemporary ideas of the "green cemetery," a grassroots movement dedicated to the development of ecologically responsible and meaningful end-of-life rituals.
Amy Cunningham is a New York licensed funeral director and celebrant who specializes in helping families plan sustainable end-of-life rituals. A former magazine journalist, she maintains a blog called TheInspiredFuneral.com.
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Ermine Taxidermy Class with Divya AnantharamanDate: Sunday, November 10
Time: 12:00pm - 6pm
Admission: $185
*TICKETS MUST BE PRE-ORDERED AT http://ermine-taxidermy.brownpapertickets.com/
***Offsite at The Fabricoscope (41 Willow Place, #2, 11201 Brooklyn) (MAP)
Subway: Court St, Borough Hall, Jay St. Metro Tech.
In this hands-on class, we will study the wiley ermine! Also known as a white weasel (they are actually brown in the summer, and turn white in the winter), this small creature used to be harvested by the hundreds for the plush robes of royalty-but not so much anymore. It has become less profitable since they are small animals (and do not yield lots of fur like the more popular fox or coyote)-so much that the ones used in class were collected from a game farm and tannery downsizing business and discarding old stock of unwanted frozen animals. Students will create a fully-finished mount in a naturalistic or anthropomorphic position. Students will learn everything involved in producing a finished mount - from initial preparation, hygiene and sanitary measures, to proper technique and dry preservation.
The class will teach how to create a wrapped body form using the ermine's own body as reference. Students will have the choice of cleaning and reconstructing the skull, or carving one using the natural one as reference. The use of anatomical study, reference photos, and detailed observation will also be reviewed as important tools in recreating the natural poses and expressions that magically reanimate a specimen. A selection of props will be provided, however, students are welcome to bring their own bases and accessories if something specific is desired. All other supplies will be provided for use in class.
Each student will leave class with a fully finished piece, and the knowledge to create their own pieces in the future.
Divya Anantharaman is a Brooklyn based artist whose taxidermy practice was sparked by a lifelong fascination with natural mythology and everyday oddities. After a journey filled with trial and error, numerous books, and an inspiring class (Sue Jeiven's popular Anthropomorphic Mouse Taxidermy Class at Observatory!), she has found her calling in creating sickly sweet and sparkly critters. Beginning with mice and sparrows, her menagerie grew to include domestic cats, woodchucks, and deer. Recently profiled on Vice Fringes, the New York Observer, and other publications, she will also be appearing in the upcoming season of Oddities-and is definitely up to no good shenanigans. You can find out more at www.d-i-v-y-a.com
Also, some technical notes:
We use NO harsh or dangerous chemicals.
Everyone will be provided with gloves.
All animals are disease free.
Although there will not be a lot of blood or gore, a strong constitution is necessary; taxidermy is not for everyone
All animals were already dead, nothing was killed for this class.
Please do not bring any dead animals with you to the class.
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Mother Machine: an ‘Uncanny Valley’ in the Eighteenth Century Illustrated lecture with Dr. Brandy Schillace
Date: Thursday, November 21
Admission: $8
Time: 8:00 PM
Location: Observatory, Brooklyn (543 Union Street (at Nevins), Brooklyn, NY 11215)
Known by a variety of names—“this most curious machine,” “this mock woman,” and the “celebrated Apparatus” —Dr. William Smellie’s mechanized obstetrical phantom was both science and spectacle in the eighteenth century. Strangely, however, though crucial to the training of at least 900 man-midwives in ten years, the machine disappears from both the actual and rhetorical "scene" of 18th-century obstetrical science.
This illustrated talk will explore the mitigating factors contributing to the machine's disappearance. Why was such a valuable teaching tool auctioned to the public after Smellie’s death? Why did famed obstetrician William Hunter agree to sell his own copy of the machine to Dr. Foster of the Dublin Rotunda? And why—after so much popular debate—does the machine disappear from public notice by the latter part of the century? Dr. Schillace will also document her own rather circuitous journey of discovery, that is, the necessary labor of unearthing (if not birthing) a medical artifact’s unusual history.
Dr. Brandy Schillace is an interdisciplinary, medical-humanist scholar. She writes about cultural production, history of science, and intersections of medicine and literature. She is the managing editor of Culture, Medicine and Psychiatry, an international journal of cross-cultural health research and a guest curator and blogger for the Dittrick Medical History Museum. Dr. Schillace was the keynote speaker for the annual meeting of the Archivists and Librarians in the History of Health Sciences 2013, and is the recent recipient of the Chawton House Library Fellowship (for study of 18th century women writers) and the Wood Institute travel grant from the Philadelphia College of Physicians. She has also an edited book collection under contingent contract with Cambria Press: Birthing the Monster of Tomorrow: Unnatural Reproductions. For a selection of recently published work, please visit http://fictionreboot-dailydose.com/publications-and-press.
Image: A late eighteenth-century “birthing phantom.” Unlike Smellie’s machine, these were not intended to be exactly like the living body, but rather a basic replica allowing midwives to understand the position of the child in the birth canal. By permission of the Dittrick Medical History Center and Museum
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“Children of the Night”: Dracula, Degeneration and Syphilitic Births at the Fin de Siècle
Illustrated lecture with Dr. Brandy Schillace and custom cocktails and DJed music by Friese Undine
Date: Friday, November 22
Admission: $10
Time: 8:00 PM
Location: Observatory, Brooklyn (543 Union S