10 Great Examples of Eerie Taxidermy Art

By combining steampunk aesthetics with taxidermy, Lisa Black has made a name for herself. In fact, she just might be the best known modern taxidermist. Her trick is incorporating copper gears and computer components that make the animals appear to be cyborgs imitating our everyday animal species. The result is all at once terrifying and fascinating.

Like Lisa Black, artists at Top Hat Taxidermy are eagerly exploring the connections between Victorian aesthetics seen in steampunk and the period art form of taxidermy. This piece, Chuffy and The Time Machine certainly transcends time periods, even if it doesn't interrupt the time/space continuum.

Combining multiple animal carcasses into one to create a mythical beast is a taxidermy trick that has been used for centuries. Jaun Cabana is a master of the art, creating such strange but classic works as monkey-boned mermaids and fish with human skulls.

While Jaun Cabana focuses on sea monsters, Sarina Brewer creates monsters that can travel by land, sea or air. Whether a winged, horned cat that looks like it escaped the fiery depths of hell or a winged goat mermaid, her beasts may be shocking, but they still always look realistic.

While many taxidermy artworks could be accurately described as whimsical, Scott Bibus' “Anti-Trophies” are anything but that. These gory works look like they were frozen in time during the filming of an utterly terrifying horror movie.

An animal need not be mythological to create a strange sense of unease though. Artist Géza Szöll?si's Inflated cow's heads are entirely creepy even if they don't look remotely scary.

If you've seen Dinner For Schmucks, then you know just how cool mice can look when dressed in human clothes. Long before crew members started constructing their mousterpieces for the movie though, Jeanie M. was creating adorable mice artworks in the good city of San Francisco. Some people have accused the movie of directly copying her art, but I'll leave that decision up to you.

Have you ever looked at your computer case and thought, “man, I wish this incorporated a dead animal?” I didn't think so. But you might reconsider after seeing Kasey McMahon's brilliant Compubeaver. She's even provided instructions so you can make your own.

If you define taxidermy strictly as the preservation of animal remains, then Gunther von Hagens might not qualify. Even so, the famed artist of Body Worlds has done amazing work when it comes to the preservation of human remains in artistic poses.

I can't find out much about these bizarre taxidermy objects other than the fact that they happen to be on display in a museum in Japan. While there's always the possibility that they aren't even made from dead animals like real taxidermy objects, they're still downright creepy.