no blood for vanity

2010

In the midst of vanity and fur coats of East London, strange silent ghosts haunted the streets for a day. It was a march of phantom animals as a silent protest against the use of fur in fashion.

I was hoping to fascinate those who are most attracted by the visual - those who wear fur for that reason - by showing a spiritual beauty and magic, unique to the spirit of each animal.

Onlookers were intrigued and as a result openly received the concerning issue - the horrifying treatments of animals in the industry (anal/vaginal electrocution, drowning, gassing methods of killing as well as skinning animals alive as a normal practice). Along with leaflets passed out during the performance describing the details, my manifested creature poltergeist now seemed more real to them than before. The audience would leave with an instilled compassion and understanding of the moral issues that come with the choice of purchasing fur and contributing to the massacre. The masks have been sold at donation prices and all proceeds have gone to the Animal Liberation Front.

Photographic documentation by Adam Tylicki + Steve Stilwell