Gallery Hijinks Artist: Todd Freeman

"Printmaking has a rich and colorful tradition in the natural sciences, and I have always admired the strange and often oversimplified nature of old taxonomy prints. Bizarre scenes of specimens in old scientific volumes were commonly recorded third or fourth-hand from expeditions and reports in far-off lands. By the time these printed forms reached their audiences, they were often wildly different then their original descriptions. My etchings are rooted in the sincere language of these taxonomies; clean floating presentations that allow their subjects ample room for examination. This simple, yet sharply authoritative format can validate even the most implausible of subjects. My prints draw material from the natural and supernatural kingdoms, referencing both alleged anomalies and legitimate marvels. They are inert swatches from the natural world, and offer documentation for stories that time has lost or dismissed."