THE STONED FOX CHRONICLES
In 2012 whilst in my second year of a three year Masters at The Royal Academy SCHOOLs I received a delivery of an ice cooler wrapped in cling film and bin bags. Inside was a fox that had met a grisly end in an illegal BEAR trap. HE HAD been found and removed by a farm groundskeeper checking fences. I met HIM through ebay by sending a random message. Little did I know how many Random email messages were going to follow.
I had never worked with a fox before and didn't really know what they were supposed to smell like. I later learned they are not supposed to smell like that. But I persevered, not wanting this guys journey to have been a waste. I sewed up all the holes carefully and Tanned him but as I worked on him I felt defeated. I didn't have any fox eyes to fit AS HE WAS SMALL ...so I decided to use some realistic Human doll eyes. I looked up at him and saw a reflection of my exact feelings. Every few weeks we would have an Art 'CRIT' which is where 2 people will show their work and the other 17 members of the course would criticise and discuss the work. Needless to say the fox did not go over very well, He is a funny guy naturally and provoked more confusion than criticism. I returned him to my studio space and vowed not to include Taxidermy within my art Practice ever again.
For two years he attended Parties, received a hug from Tracey Emin among many others AND WATCHED OVER ME AT WORK. I was making work about an unknown species of ape ...The Sumatran's answer to Big foot... The orange pendek. I GOT so obsessed with the work I became one of the foremost female cryptozoological researchers in the UK. This led to me being asked to go on an Expedition to the Jungle in Sumatra by European Channel Arte for a documentary they were making on Wild men.
I needed to have 8 Injections to protect against various things in this remote jungle. these were not cheap which MEANS I STARTED looking for things to sell. I FELT LIKE THE FOX SHOULD GO ON TO A BETTER LIFE. I was very sad to have to sell him and didn't really expect anyone to buy him but I put the fox on Ebay.
This is when things start to get strange. As if dead foxes and bigfoot wasn't enough. I began to get a lot of bids and strange messages. I didn't think too much of it.
I later found out that a DJ Called Space Dimension Controller Had done a facebook post offering to play a gig for free in exchange for someone purchasing the fox for him.
Enter.... Mike Boorman. Mike is unlike anyone I have ever met AND SOMEONE I NOW CONSIDER A FRIEND. Half Alan Partridge half Ibiza DJ. Always happy to find some new adventure. Mike saw the opportunity. He realised he could buy the fox and book a venue and sell tickets to the space dimension controller gig AND COME OUT ON TOP WITH AN ADVENTURE IN HIS BACK POCKET. He won the Auction. He asked to collect in person. UNUSUAL BUT I AGREED. LITTLE DID I KNOW HOW MANY MORE TIMES I WOULD MEET MIKE OFF EBAY. I handed him THE fox in a carrier bag at a LOCAL TUBE station.
A few weeks later mike sent me an invite to the gig which was 10 mins from my house. I took some friends who had no idea what was happening. We saw his face on a poster as we entered the basement. an hour later space dimension Controller was recreating the lion king scene by holding the fox above his head whilst the music played. people were chanting "fox fox fox".
What happened next nobody could have predicted. The fox had gone super viral in Russia. I will tell the story of what happened at some point as its the most insane adventure that I couldn't have made up.
It involves Multiple death threats, A huge mix up between me and the press secretary of the political opposition to putin, going to St Petersburg with Mike from EBay and the fox for 10 days, Protests for 10 days, a march of the dogs, the NEW Communist Party, MULTIPLE Covers of the Metro PAPER, TV Interviews, Press Conferences, A Celebrity appearance in a Russian home goods store, A bodyguard with a gun, being interviewed by the wall street journal in the basement of a Russian sex museum in Moscow beneath a Dunkin Donuts, Being stranded alone in Moscow with no phone, money and no way out, Being legislated against, COURT CASES, a sponsored appearance at a wedding Fete in a restaurant, Being detained, Mafia Taxi Rides, Mosquito bites, and unfortunately being In A viral remake of Gangam Style WITH RUSSIAS ANSWER TO ARNOLD schwarzenegger. THE FOX GOT HIS OWN WIKEPEDIA PAGE AND WAS NAMED MEME OF THE YEAR 2013 BEATING GRUMPY CAT WHICH WAS WILD.
I Filmed ALMOST everything with the intention of making a documentary but the fox STORY KEEPS UNFOLDING.
I had no social media until much much later and missed so much... SO WHEN I FINALLY SAT DOWN TO LOOK I was so floored and amazed. SEEING SNOOP DOG POST MY SMELLY FOX AND SO MANY OTHERS WAS SO BIZARRE.
A FEW FUNNY ARTICLES.....FOR THE RECORD... OF COURSE I DID NOT SAY THAT.
THE DAILY MAIL CONTACTED ME FOR AN INTERVIEW AND IN THE 4 HOURS IT TOOK ME TO RESPOND THEY MADE A STORY UP THAT GOT ME IN A LOT OF TROUBLE IN RUSSIA. BEING ACCUSED OF BEING A SPY WAS PRETTY COOL THOUGH.
THE GUARDIAN THE HUFFINGTON POST THE TELEGRAPH THE DAILY FAIL THE DAILY FAIL #TAXIMAG CRAPPY TAXIDERMY WALL STREET JOURNAL KNOW YOUR MEME YANNIC RACK WIKIPEDIA WIKIPEDA ROYAL ACADEMY OF THE ARTS
PLEASE SEE BELOW A SMALL SELECTION OF STRANGE PHOTOS FROM MY FOX GOING VIRAL IN RUSSIA BEFORE SPREADING TO THE REST OF THE INTERNET.
I had never worked with a fox before and didn't really know what they were supposed to smell like. I later learned they are not supposed to smell like that. But I persevered, not wanting this guys journey to have been a waste. I sewed up all the holes carefully and Tanned him but as I worked on him I felt defeated. I didn't have any fox eyes to fit AS HE WAS SMALL ...so I decided to use some realistic Human doll eyes. I looked up at him and saw a reflection of my exact feelings. Every few weeks we would have an Art 'CRIT' which is where 2 people will show their work and the other 17 members of the course would criticise and discuss the work. Needless to say the fox did not go over very well, He is a funny guy naturally and provoked more confusion than criticism. I returned him to my studio space and vowed not to include Taxidermy within my art Practice ever again.
For two years he attended Parties, received a hug from Tracey Emin among many others AND WATCHED OVER ME AT WORK. I was making work about an unknown species of ape ...The Sumatran's answer to Big foot... The orange pendek. I GOT so obsessed with the work I became one of the foremost female cryptozoological researchers in the UK. This led to me being asked to go on an Expedition to the Jungle in Sumatra by European Channel Arte for a documentary they were making on Wild men.
I needed to have 8 Injections to protect against various things in this remote jungle. these were not cheap which MEANS I STARTED looking for things to sell. I FELT LIKE THE FOX SHOULD GO ON TO A BETTER LIFE. I was very sad to have to sell him and didn't really expect anyone to buy him but I put the fox on Ebay.
This is when things start to get strange. As if dead foxes and bigfoot wasn't enough. I began to get a lot of bids and strange messages. I didn't think too much of it.
I later found out that a DJ Called Space Dimension Controller Had done a facebook post offering to play a gig for free in exchange for someone purchasing the fox for him.
Enter.... Mike Boorman. Mike is unlike anyone I have ever met AND SOMEONE I NOW CONSIDER A FRIEND. Half Alan Partridge half Ibiza DJ. Always happy to find some new adventure. Mike saw the opportunity. He realised he could buy the fox and book a venue and sell tickets to the space dimension controller gig AND COME OUT ON TOP WITH AN ADVENTURE IN HIS BACK POCKET. He won the Auction. He asked to collect in person. UNUSUAL BUT I AGREED. LITTLE DID I KNOW HOW MANY MORE TIMES I WOULD MEET MIKE OFF EBAY. I handed him THE fox in a carrier bag at a LOCAL TUBE station.
A few weeks later mike sent me an invite to the gig which was 10 mins from my house. I took some friends who had no idea what was happening. We saw his face on a poster as we entered the basement. an hour later space dimension Controller was recreating the lion king scene by holding the fox above his head whilst the music played. people were chanting "fox fox fox".
What happened next nobody could have predicted. The fox had gone super viral in Russia. I will tell the story of what happened at some point as its the most insane adventure that I couldn't have made up.
It involves Multiple death threats, A huge mix up between me and the press secretary of the political opposition to putin, going to St Petersburg with Mike from EBay and the fox for 10 days, Protests for 10 days, a march of the dogs, the NEW Communist Party, MULTIPLE Covers of the Metro PAPER, TV Interviews, Press Conferences, A Celebrity appearance in a Russian home goods store, A bodyguard with a gun, being interviewed by the wall street journal in the basement of a Russian sex museum in Moscow beneath a Dunkin Donuts, Being stranded alone in Moscow with no phone, money and no way out, Being legislated against, COURT CASES, a sponsored appearance at a wedding Fete in a restaurant, Being detained, Mafia Taxi Rides, Mosquito bites, and unfortunately being In A viral remake of Gangam Style WITH RUSSIAS ANSWER TO ARNOLD schwarzenegger. THE FOX GOT HIS OWN WIKEPEDIA PAGE AND WAS NAMED MEME OF THE YEAR 2013 BEATING GRUMPY CAT WHICH WAS WILD.
I Filmed ALMOST everything with the intention of making a documentary but the fox STORY KEEPS UNFOLDING.
I had no social media until much much later and missed so much... SO WHEN I FINALLY SAT DOWN TO LOOK I was so floored and amazed. SEEING SNOOP DOG POST MY SMELLY FOX AND SO MANY OTHERS WAS SO BIZARRE.
A FEW FUNNY ARTICLES.....FOR THE RECORD... OF COURSE I DID NOT SAY THAT.
THE DAILY MAIL CONTACTED ME FOR AN INTERVIEW AND IN THE 4 HOURS IT TOOK ME TO RESPOND THEY MADE A STORY UP THAT GOT ME IN A LOT OF TROUBLE IN RUSSIA. BEING ACCUSED OF BEING A SPY WAS PRETTY COOL THOUGH.
THE GUARDIAN THE HUFFINGTON POST THE TELEGRAPH THE DAILY FAIL THE DAILY FAIL #TAXIMAG CRAPPY TAXIDERMY WALL STREET JOURNAL KNOW YOUR MEME YANNIC RACK WIKIPEDIA WIKIPEDA ROYAL ACADEMY OF THE ARTS
PLEASE SEE BELOW A SMALL SELECTION OF STRANGE PHOTOS FROM MY FOX GOING VIRAL IN RUSSIA BEFORE SPREADING TO THE REST OF THE INTERNET.
