I have a confession. I am terrified of bear skin rugs. TERRIFIED. Especially if the head is still attached to the rug, oh no.

So when I saw these images of Agustina Woodgate’s latest collection it made me smile because all of them are hand-sewn rugs made from recycled stuffed animals skins! We’re talking about teddy bears you couldn’t bear to throw away, or that ripped panda that you played a little too harsh with when you were a little ankle biter. The rugs not only reference the personal histories of the toy’s owners, but investigate the rug as an object organizing and displaying memories and lineages.

And not only that, Agustina goes a little deeper. Taken from her website:
In Eastern Cultures, the oriental rug centralizes the living space in pattern, operating beyond utility to depict the spiritual and mental world in woven form. Woodgate is particularly drawn to the specific meanings in the arrangement of rug designs, and how different histories of the rug represent stories of the past and ways of tracing archetypes in physical and material forms.

Her work is currently on display at Miami’s Spinello Gallery in an exhibition entitled Collectivism, and is on display until 28th May.

Chris Donnelly is an artist working in the San Francisco Bay area, where he ventured into carving wooden people after collecting wooden antique fishing lures, and was inspired to make them himself.

Since 1995, he’s been carving hundreds of wooden figures with basic wood carving tools such as gouges, files and knives. While most of his people are from his imagination, a few of them are based on everyday life, memories, old photos and family. Wouldn’t it be amazing to have sculptures of people whom you’ve met and interacted before as a collection? It must be amazing to have a story to go with each piece!

This is a mural that was made by Charley Harper at the Cincinnatti Federal Building, USA, and stretched along two walls are 100 animals put together with tiles. Finished in 1964, they each measure 18 × 10.5 ft.

Charley Harper’s work is well documented in the book Illustrated Life book by Todd Olham and to be able to see this would definitely be a treat. Those of you in Cincinnati had better head there right now (I’m green with envy!)

{Images from Heroine Chick and also from Visualingual, via StyleSwoon}