Thomas Grunfeld

German artist Thomas Grunfeld (b. 1958) is known for his "misfit" taxidermy -- in which he combines two unrelated and incongruous animals to create a fictitious hybrid species. These wild creatures populate this book, as do his "gummis" -- amorphous rubber sculptures that resemble mutant cushions. His work was displayed to great effect in the 1997 "Comme des Garcons" collection -- where designer Rei Kawakubo attached bulging pads to dresses (dubbed "collection Quasimodo"). Thus, the title, Professional Deformation, is apt indeed.