Not so crazy fish

Not-so-crazy fish        
Renae Taylor, b. 1974
Sculpture, date unknown

TARBOT: it’s … definitely crazy
I’ve never seen fish wear that much makeup

CROE: LOL
i kind of see a male fish in drag

TARBOT: lol
well from the side view… it honestly looks like an … older woman with a generous double chin

CROE: yeah i see that
did you see the eyelashes?

TARBOT: totally fake.
:)

CROE: i’m trying to figure out how to convey my outburst of laughter via im

TARBOT: heehee
roflmao?

CROE: my ass is still attached

TARBOT: a-hahahhaaha
haha

CROE: or rather, my ass is still on

TARBOT: it’s interesting – the whole thing is so strange, but the execution of it is so good in many respects
the painting of it
it looks seamless
like, oh sure, fish like that totally exist
wait… no they don’t!

TARBOT: she should have photographed the fish on a differently colored background
all the green makes it a bit difficult to see

CROE: and made like a ministand

TARBOT: right
or had the hand model wash their fingernails
I have more criticism about the marketing of this piece than I do about it, itself hehe

Tea Time        
Renae Taylor, b. 1974
Acrylic, date unknown

TARBOT: her paintings are REALLY pretty
lol the fish on the right is pretending to have a face
oh, that was a question I wanted us to ponder
why faces on fish
as opposed to another animal?

CROE: but he’s spilling tea all over himself

TARBOT: yeah
that’s what happens when you try to be someone you’re not
:)

CROE: why fish? i guess the fins are convenient for holding the mask in place
but how does one drink tea under water?

TARBOT: oh fascinating!
hadn’t even thought of that
must be really thick tea

CROE: yeah, really dense

TARBOT: to hold itself together like that

CROE: do you see the fish’s eye?
s/he’s looking straight at us

TARBOT: yup!

CROE: but the left fish is looking at the right fish
all calm-like
like “you are not fooling anyone.”