A Wolf in Ceramic Clothing

See those large glazed ceramic pots? They look harmless, don't they? That's what I thought until I looked inside these urns created by Huang Yong Ping on display at Gladstone Gallery. Crouching within each one is a taxidermic animal. I was not prepared to peer into the eyes of a wolf bearing his teeth. I literally shuddered. (I would've screamed if I were alone. By the way, this is the second time that I've gotten the be-jesus scared out of me at Gladstone. First time: Thomas Hirschhorn's photos of decapitated Arabs.) In spite of almost going into cardiac arrest, I found Huang Yong Ping's show quietly thought-provoking. The other sculptures are mini-replicas of the Coliseum and the Pentagon. The artist, however, has recreated these symbols of war and violence as fertile sites for vegetation, or are these buildings just forgotten ruins and grave sites? (Images via Gladstone Gallery)