The nightmarish hybrid taxidermy that could land 'Franken-artist' in jail
Are these the sickest stuffed animals ever? Now artist faces JAIL over taxidermy
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Like a modern day Dr Frankenstein, Enrique Gomez De Molina creates hauntingly stunning hybrid sculptures made from the stuffed parts of dead animals.
But it is his beloved mythical creatures that could land the Miami artist in jail for up to five years and see him forking out $250,000 in fines.
De Molina uses the parts of once-living animals and merges them together to create strange beings, one example features the head of two swans on the body of a goat and another shows the head of a squirrel meshed with a crab.
Mythical: The surreal sculptures feature a doubles head swan on the body of what appears to be a goat
Creepy: This otherworldly piece is created with the head of a screaming squirrel and the body of crab
Nightmarish: This taxidermy Sculpture called the McSparboe Salmonella is a mix of a rooster and a goat
The artist pleaded guilty to illegally importing parts from endangered species to make the unique pieces of art after his arrest in November, reports Miami New Times.
He smuggled in the parts, skins and remains, from whole cobras, pangolins, hornbills, and the skulls of babirusa and orangutans from areas all over the world including Bali, Indonesia, Thailand, the Philippines and China.
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ShareAccording to the report, he is charged with possessing the skins of a Java kingfisher, collared kingfisher, bird of paradise, and juvenile hawk-eagle as well as the carcasses of a slow loris and a mouse deer, all from Indonesia.
The artist had not obtained the required permits to import the animal parts, and police claim De Molina knew what he was doing was illegal as he asked the people he bought them from to wrap them in carbon paper, according to the MN Times.
Hybrid creature: De Molina uses the parts of once-living animals and merges them together to create strange but striking sculptures
Weird: In this strange example De Molina merges a goat's head and hooves with the body and tail of a skunk
Macabre: De Molina smuggled the parts of dead endangered species into America to make the sculptures
De Molina's work was exhibited at the Scope Art Fair, one of the leading Art Basel Miami Beach satellite fairs, with two of his controversial pieces fetching a total of $100,000
He offers his pieces through galleries and on the internet for prices ranging up to $80,000.
Controversial: De Molina offers his pieces through galleries and on the internet for prices ranging up to $80,000
Scary: The mythical creatures could land the Miami artist in jail for up to five years and see him forking out $250,000 in fines
Illegal: The artist had not obtained the required permits to import the animal parts, and police claim he knew what he was doing was illegal
The artist claims that he aimed to raise awareness with his work to the danger faced by a range of species, with his surreal pieces representing the dangers of genetic engineering and human intervention.
On a website showcasing his work he says: 'The impossibility of my creatures brings me both joy and sadness at the same time.
The joy comes from seeing and experiencing the Fantasy of the work but that
is coupled with the sadness of the fact that we are destroying all of these beautiful things.'
De Molina's is due to appear in court for sentencing March 2.
Watch video of artist here
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