I want to start by saying that I don't like the word 'ethical', and for the last few years have actively avoided using it when describing the sourcing of the animal remains I work with. 'Ethical sourcing' can mean something very different to a lot of people, and in my opinion the term only shuts down a potential conversation about

My interest in creating artworks using the bones of animals began as an extension of my love and passion for both animal life and animal anatomy. A curiosity drove me from an early age to learn about and understand the inner mechanics of how an animal works, and a desire to make something live on from animals that had died led to my developing the skill set I now use today.

In working with animal remains, my perspectives on where and how I source animals to create work with have changed a lot over time. Initially, I would only use animals that had died of natural causes, and would strictly not use the remains of anything that had been hunted. Over time, as I became more aware of the ways in which invasive species impact upon the natural environment and in particular the native wildlife, my perspectives on hunted animals have shifted. As such, I now will work with invasive species that have been culled,

This conversation is an ever-evolving one, and one which I am continually having with myself. An example of this internal interrogation can be seen on my Instagram page, under the story highlight ‘Maybe?’ - where I explore my own internal thought processes whenever asked if the works I create are ‘ethically sourced’. While it is in no way completed, it is something I intend to add to over time.

• Gerard Geer