If ever there was a fitting tribute to a late fashion icon, “The Head of Isabella Blow, 2002” is it. Dramatic, gothic, and grandiose, the artwork makes use of fifteen taxidermied animals (including a rattlesnake, rat, raven, and six magpies), wood and faux moss, and a Manolo Blahnik heel and lipstick tube both from Blow’s personal stash. When spotlighted against a blank surface, the work creates the recognizable silhouette of Blow herself, wearing what looks to be one of her beloved Phillip Treacy hats. Recently donated to London’s National Portrait Gallery by British artists (and friends of Blow) Tim Noble and Sue Webster, the macabre work goes on display tomorrow, inviting the public to not only admire the fashion muse, but also contemplate her preoccupation with death and beauty. It will remain on view through March 13.
See Also: The Extravagantly Embellished Life and Tragically Overforeshadowed Death of Isabella Blow [NYM]
