The purpose of duck decoys, to attract real ducks during hunting, has remained the same for hundreds of years. The thing that changed, however, is the way they are made. Unlike wooden and low-quality models of the past, modern ducks are now made out of durable materials and feature elaborate paintings that make them seem impressively close to the real thing.
While hunters might be impressed with the modern duck decoys, artist Oli Watt is not. This is why he decided to craft 101 duck decoys from various materials, including found objects, wood, bread, paper, and much more.
According to Watt, who works as a professor at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, the inspiration for the 101 Decoy project came to him after seeing the duck decoys collection of late Chicago artist Roger Brown. He is now taking his creations across the country for exhibit in art galleries while also releasing an accompanying book.
“Ranging from the elegant to the abject, each completed decoy presented ideas and challenges that led to the next,” it says on the official website for the project. “Overall, 101 Decoys is an exercise in understanding, utilizing, and undermining repetition as a process and a tool.”
Scroll down to see more of Watt’s duck decoys.
