Stevie’s Skin

Unknown, 2016

Snake skin

35 X 7 X 1 cm

Personal collection

Skin shedding is a process many reptiles go through. One may think that this object is something to be thrown away, but in reality it is often kept by the owner. Many snake owners keep their snake’s shed as a meaningful object in their home. The shedding process allows snakes to grow further as well as removing any attached parasites. Some people also ingest snake skin by mouth for certain disorders to provide relief.

This object, known as “Stevie’s Skin”, highlights how the past is related to the present. The process of growing and “shedding” past selves is something that all living things can relate to, but not all have the special ability to create a tangible object as a result. This object is a representation of an animal's previous self, and on the object you can see the snake’s individual, unique markings. It represents how it used to look and it’s state. From this specific shed, you can tell the snake was in good health because it is fully intact. We can learn a lot about the past from this piece and it can also give us clues as to the present state of the animal. For example, this shed's length indicates that the python was young and that its next shed will be larger in size.

The object has moved through space and time and that has been surrounded by other personal objects and people who value it. A piece like this fits perfectly into the conversation between past, present, and even future. As the exhibition has been moved into the virtual world, the significance of this being an object held at home becomes something important to note. Due to this change, I will be keeping this object with me and not placing it into a physical space that it does not originate from, the object remains personal. As I share images of this shed, it becomes intangible to the viewer, however, even if it were to be physically in the exhibition, it remains intangible. Perhaps this is the direction our world is going, regardless of the current pandemic. Despite this being only a digital platform, this object can still connect others in a way that physical objects can do as well.

Maeve Hind