Baxter, Iain | Animal Preserve: The 3 Kingdoms, 2008 — available on Composition Gallery

Plush animals, mason jars, distilled water

Animal Preserve: The 3 Kingdoms by Iain Baxter is a thought-provoking mixed-media sculpture from 2008. This piece features three plush animals submerged in mason jars filled with distilled water, resting on a minimalist metal shelf. Each jar serves as a containment for a plush representation of a different kingdom in the animal world, possibly hinting at themes of preservation, commodification, and humanity’s role in the natural environment. The transparent jars and soft toys contrast with the sterile presentation, raising questions about the artificial preservation of nature and our impulse to control or encapsulate the natural world. This artwork, limited to an edition of 30, plays on the tension between nostalgia and critique, using familiar childhood objects in an unusual and contemplative setting.

Iain Baxter& (Canada, 1936) is a pioneering conceptual artist known for his innovative use of photography, installation, and sculpture. Co-founder of the N.E. Thing Co., he challenged traditional art boundaries by integrating corporate structures into his practice. In 2005, he legally added an ampersand to his name, symbolizing ongoing collaboration and the interconnectedness of art and life.

Iain Baxter

Animal Preserve: The 3 Kingdoms, 2008

Name: Animal Preserve: The 3 Kingdoms, 2008
SKU: 3446
Price: 2000.00 EUR
Availability: InStock

Form

Sculpture / Object

Sculpture / ObjectA sculpture is a three-dimension object made using any one of the basic sculpting processes. These include carving, casting, constructing or modeling. Carving materials may be bone, ivory, stone or wood. Modeling and casting use clay or wax, while constructions glue materials together.

Medium

Multiple

MultipleMixed media refers to artwork that incorporates more than one medium within a single piece. Unlike multimedia art, which combines distinct forms of visual art and often includes elements like sound, video, or digital media, mixed media focuses on combining traditional art materials, such as paint, ink, and collage. Mixed media art allows artists to achieve a wide range of effects and textures by layering and blending different materials.

Edition

Edition of 30

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Plush animals, mason jars, distilled water

Iain Baxter

Animal Preserve: The 3 Kingdoms, 2008

Sculpture / Object

Mixed Media

EUR 2,000

No sold works to show.

I feel I am the new Hudson River School traditionalist, using water, air, sky, land, clouds, and boats.
- Iain Baxter

Iain Baxter (b. 1936, UK) is a pioneering Canadian conceptual artist whose work spans a diverse range of media, from photography and painting to sculpture and installation. His career began with an epiphany at eighteen after surviving a car accident, which led him to study ecology and zoology, influenced by Zen Buddhism and the teachings of Seattle artist Morris Graves. In 1961, Baxter hosted his first solo show, Lacquers and Collage Watercolors, in Kyoto. After earning a Master of Fine Arts from Washington State University, he settled in Vancouver, where he captured the city through the lens of a laid-back zoologist and ecologist. Baxter's conceptual art often reflects a sense of humor that "probes with questions," as seen in works like Standard 24, which critiques the teaching of art, and Zero Emissions, addressing ecological issues through materials like mufflers and taxidermy. A versatile artist, Baxter employs various media, but he considers "information in the big broad sense" as his favorite medium, using it to explore and comment on the world around him.

Artwork by John Baldessari

What is conceptual art?

Sometimes referred to as Conceptualism, this is an art form where the idea(s) or concept(s) behind the work take precedence over material concerns and traditional aesthetics. Many conceptual artworks can be created by anyone simply by following written instructions. The concept or idea is the most essential aspect of the artwork.

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Iain Baxter