Trophy: Symbol and Necessity

Trophy: Symbol and Necessity

Why hunt if one does not need to kill? Historically, hunting has been an essential part of our lives. Evidence that humans hunted for survival stems from the prehistoric area. Even the bible, the foundation of many Western discourses of language and art, provides examples of mighty hunters and fishermen. Contrary to human needs in the prehistoric era, however, present-day humankind has the capacity to survive without killing a single living creature. Subsequently, killing an animal for sport or food has become a morally ambiguous act in North American society. Indeed, the legitimacy of hunting has come under fire. Yet, one can buy sporting goods like guns and ammunition on the Internet and in the supermarket. If, in our culture, economic efficiency and convenience dictates our needs and pleasures, and popular institutions like Wal-Mart and Ebay enable our every desire, do we need to reevaluate our necessities?

The issues of desire and need underscore my work. Recently I have been interested in the relationship between humans and animals; I am examining my society's particular desire for game hunting and the concept of the "trophy" Ð'- as a vessel for memory and as a symbol of pride and status. Why do we exhibit once-living creatures in our homes? Does it address a basic need for us to be closer to nature, or is it an expression of some primal instinct to establish social status? A Grand Falls hunter once told me, "I want to have the mount so that it will make me remember every single detail of the day, from the morning mist to the moment when I found and shot him." His comment caused me to realize that the trophy has complex meanings for its owner, and our interpretation.

This summer I intend to explore the new cultural stigma attached to the idea of the trophy. Through my artwork I would like to explore and confront the interpretational limitations of this term. Although possessing a trophy implies the achievement of excellence, it also acts as a subtle recognition of one's past experience. In fact, it is its function as a cache for personal memory that allows people to interpret and identify with the concept of the "trophy," regardless of hunting experience. Trophies exist in many forms in our homes. I have souvenir postcards from travel and photographs of friends that are all types of trophies.