I had the pleasure of going to see the Menil Collection while I was in Houston. There was one artist in particular who was featured quite a bit, Mauritzio Cattelan. I found his pieces to be shocking, unique, and thought-provoking. They seemed to be statements about politics, religion, current events, and history. Particularly interesting to me were the taxidermied pieces. After researching online I found that one horse he used was a former race horse which died of natural causes. After an hour or two of searching, however, I could not find where the dogs in this piece came from. I am very curious to know the conditions under which the artist secured these animals for his pieces. If anyone knows, I would be interested to know as well!
Not only were dogs visible in this artist's work, but they were visible throughout the entire collection in the museum. It is evident from art and artifacts that dogs have been loyal companions to humans for centuries. As humans have evolved, so too have the roles of the canines ever-present in their environment.
