Flying Fish (Primary Title)
James Prosek, American, born 1975 (Artist)
James Prosek is an artist, naturalist, traveler, writer, and activist whose principal subject is animals—both real and imaginary. Working in the tradition of artist-naturalists like James John Audubon, Prosek draws upon a deep scientific and observational study of his subjects. Here he has captured the meticulously observed features of several species—a flying fish, a South American bird known as a cock-of-the-rock, a junonia shell, and seaweed—but recombined the elements in a whimsicaland fantastical manner. The artist writes: “I suppose this piece, as some of my hybrids do, synthesizes elements that I have seen, that I like. I like to pull from different sources, all of which have some meaning to me. So some of these pieces are as much hybrids of existing creatures as they are hybrids of my own personal memories, experiences, and emotions.”
Label copy: "Domestic, Wild, Divine: Artists Look at Animals" 11/21/2012 - 09/04/2013
Some object records are not complete and do not reflect VMFA's full and current knowledge. VMFA makes routine updates as records are reviewed and enhanced.