A creative traveling art installation that drew viewers in—then stunned them as they realized what they were actually looking at.
I think this is very cleverly done, the soft pale wax shows such vulnerability, every single pin a cutting point of pain. From a distance they look beautiful, the ‘fur’ looks soft, like velvet, but close up, if one will take a look, there is a far, far darker side, it represents the fur trade well, people do not want to watch fur-farm videos, they want to ignore all that business and look fashionable, whilst finding ‘bunnies’ all cute and sweet, so here are some sweet looking animals to draw them in, until reality bites. Being vegan I feel exactly the same about leather as I do fur. It isn’t a by-product because we don’t need to kill and eat them in the first place. It is greed, ignorance, the sticking of fingers in ears and the tantrums of giant children who want. That is the key, they WANT. They do not need. The tags below provide links to alternatives, and there are now, many, many excellent ones.
This is the original link, given to me by the lovely Emy –
How 550,386 Stickpins Got People to Stop Wearing Fur
Tags – Needles and Pins, The Leather issue, Fabulous Fake Fur, Ideal leather alternatives Choices to be made “We have enslaved the rest of the animal creation, and have treated our distant cousins in fur and feathers so badly that beyond doubt, if they were able to formulate a religion, they would depict the Devil in human form.” – William Ralph Inge- Outspoken Essays (1922).
Esme's Cloud 
Very cool.
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Thank you Porter Girl – nods.
esme upon the Cloud
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I stopped wearing leather years ago. Always struck me as odd that some veg*ns would happily wear dead animals while not eating them. I was amazed when I read somewhere that the meat industry wouldn’t be sustainable if it wasn’t for the use of the skins.
Couldn’t quite work out how India has such a big leather industry though with all those sacred cows wandering around, unless they make holy clothing when they gave died.
There are good synthetic products, which is a compromise in itself, and there are also tat ones. Certainly the choice is limited (for me here at any rate) and anything decent is expensive. I saw some nice looking boots recently – at £200+. Principles are easier when you have money.
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Hmm, over here it isn’t hard at all, and certainly no more expensive than buying leather. I’ve got walking boots and fashion ones that have lasted for years, my coats are just the same and I’ve been vegan for 18 years.
esme upon the Cloud
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Walking boots are fine, it’s actually the rare occasion I need something remotely smart. I used to buy Lotus shoes for work and they were tidy enough, and there were some decent boots too through mail order. Just, more difficult to get things sent to Gib, plus when they don’t fit it’s a faff and expensive on postage.
I’ve had boots from Ethical Wares (Wales) that have lasted since buying them in the 90s. Bought some flat fashion boots from a different mail order company, just what I wanted, but which seriously fell apart within 12 months 😦 They aren’t stocking those boots any more. Ethical shopping huh.
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I find lots of boots and shoes in normal shops and stores, tons don’t use leather anymore, but they don’t shout about it. I am the Queen of label checkers smiles. The shops that sell specific vegan shoes can be pricey, I get all mind from the high street and town. And very smart they are too nods.
esme of Cloud fame
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Good to see art (or artisanship) being used to raise consciousness in meaningful ways. I don’t know if you would agree Esme, but there seems to be the beginnings of a paradigm shift in public awareness as regards animal agriculture, and the constant tide of negative news stories on meat consumption and the correlative environmental damage it causes appears to be spearheading the way. Admittedly, this is not entirely driven by personal ethics, rather by personal interest in ameliorating the possibilities of things like colon cancer and perhaps extreme weather events too, yet it seems to be taking hold in Britain, at least. I hear Veganism is growing in popularity at an exponential rate here, although I must confess I have yet to get there myself; I appear to be what Kate would call a Veg*n, or possibly something less. Still, I tread lightly in the world.
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You’re right it is Hariod, and I don’t care as much for why, as for the fact it is happening, though awareness is a brilliant thing, and that covers all areas be it health, environment or anything else really.
We all have our paths – treading lightly is to be applauded smiles.
esme upon the Cloud
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I love that seal. It looks like a human shoulder, arm, hand. How to expand empathy. I love the pins, too, beauty and pain together. I love the care and dedication and technical skill producing these things.
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Yes I think that’s the key, empathy, they’re all very beautiful, so much thought and care, and as you mention, love, has gone into this exhibition. Thanks for stopping by Clare smiles.
esme upon the Cloud
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This is great. Thanks. Wanting and needing are conflated. What is wrong with our minds that we get this so mixed up?
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True, true. And you’re welcome, I’m glad you liked it J.B smiles.
esme upon the Cloud
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Interesting. I went through a period where all I did was watch Peta videos and spend hours in agony, crying. I’m unsure why I wanted to put myself through such suffering, consistently. My parents end up banning me, I think, and in protest I went vego. I even forced people to watch it, taking it to school and getting all angry when they wouldn’t show it. All it did was make me hate humans and point blame.
The way in which I see the world now, would be far to controversial to even bother stating.
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That’s quite a reaction Jessie. I only needed to see a couple, and I suppose my positivity comes from those of us who are willing to put the animals before our own fashion needs I guess. Shock tactics don’t work very much, I find subtlelty works better, this exhibition – the wax bodies and pins alone say so much, I reckon they’d be very effective on their own. If people feel guilt is being heaped upon them by what they perceive to be the virtuous, it makes them angry, and often do the exact opposite. The human mind is a complex thing. I rarely mention vegan and issues this obviously, for that very reason. I work from within.
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Yes, I can be quite intensely passionate, and have ever since mellowed out of such extremes. It is indeed a beautiful body of work. Personally, I’m a shocker.
The mind can be complex, it can also be extremely simple. And working from within is a good stance to take, dear friend x
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You are a shocker! laughs a lot A deceptive one. just kidding.
Thank you Jessie, you are lovely, and have a very kind heart within you. x
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My heart is smiling in a mirror for the cloud x
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