||| FROM BJ ARNOLD for ORCAS ISLAND ARTWORKS |||
Orcas Island Artworks is proud to present a new feature wall by multidisciplinary artist Marjorie Taylor, a former psychology professor whose passion for creativity and unconventional materials has earned international acclaim. The display offers a fresh departure from her popular “vegan taxidermy” pieces, showcasing a bas-relief reinterpretation of Albrecht Dürer’s famous rhinoceros engraving—re-imagined in a mix of paper clay, mirrors, beads, and wire netting.
Originally from Nova Scotia, and long based in Eugene, Oregon, Marjorie is known for her textile-based explorations of neuroscience and animal form. Though not formally trained as an artist, her work has appeared in exhibitions across England, Canada, New Zealand, and the U.S., and been featured in Science, Slate, and other notable platforms. Her wearable art made from recycled materials won an award at the World of Wearable Art International Design Competition in New Zealand and was worn at the Nobel Prize Ceremony in Sweden.
While her ongoing work at Orcas Island Artworks centers on “vegan taxidermy”— animal replicas made with vintage needlepoint, faux fur, chenille, and velvet—this featured installation delves into art history and interpretation. Inspired by Dürer’s 1515 woodcut of a rhinoceros, which the artist created without ever seeing the animal, Taylor’s mixed-media version is both homage and revision.
Join us at Orcas Island Artworks to experience this striking piece in person, and to explore the full collection of imaginative animal forms and fabric-based fantasy.
Orcas Island Artworks is open daily from 10-5 in Olga.
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