BEATRICE THE BIRD Sculpture

From the series: TROPHIES A statue of the Virgin Mary is sacredly enthroned in the corner of the room. The only thing separating it from the wooden shelf it is placed on, is a self-crocheted lace doily. A bundle of herbs also lies there, dried and consecrated. The corner of the Lord's God serves for devotion, also for contemplation. Just as sacred a twelve-pointer hangs next to it, a many-branched antler that testifies to a mighty stag and its mighty hunter. Formerly the headdress of a living creature, now a trophy on a board. Enter, bring in luck! Anita Steinwidder learned about these traditions as a child in her grandparents' house, where she grew up. She also stared at antlers in neighboring granges of farmers and hunters and looked into the glass eyes of dead foxes and capercaillies. Trophy collections bear witness to the triumph over the animal. Antlers or taxidermized heads are proudly presented in the parlors. An ambivalent feeling of disgust and curiosity aroused the interest of the child. She roamed the forest, lost in time and aimlessly. She collected found objects that, lovingly arranged in boxes, turned into little treasures. Her childlike fantasy world mixed with the perceived reality. Wild animals and mythical creatures were humanized and given names. Everything has a soul. Trophies is factually a collection of dead, taxidermized, preserved animals. STEINWIDDER creates fairytale-like characters. Berta the Bird recovers a floating lightness with her white pleated skirt. The unconventional body adornment of the drake Duff the Duck allows for even more variations of interpretation, ranging somewhere between crochet sado-maso mask and protective balaclava with tassels. Markus the Marten, who in his previous life adorned the neck of an elderly lady as a fur scarf, received a type of doll’s dress. In friendly devotion Anita Steinwidder creates mystical portraits of independent figures.