Blinky the Friendly Hen
April 27, 1978: Artist Jeffrey Vallance bought a frozen chicken (a Foster Farms fryer) at a supermarket and then buried it at the Los Angeles Pet Cemetery, following a brief memorial service. He also installed a grave marker for the frozen bird, naming it "Blinky the Friendly Hen." He came to think of Blinky's grave as being like the grave of the Unknown Chicken, representing "all the millions of chickens who are slaughtered and sold as food."
According to kcet.org, "Ten years later, he would have the body exhumed so an autopsy could be performed by UCLA's head of pathology. The tenth anniversary exhibit on the life of Blinky, at the Rosamund Felsen Gallery in Los Angeles, featured a 'shroud of Blinky,' and a recreation of the cemetery's viewing room, with a rubber chicken lying in state. Blinky was later reburied at the cemetery."
It seems that there were also an event to mark the 30th anniversary of Blinky's funeral. The 40th anniversary is coming up next year, so perhaps there'll be another event in Blinky's honor.
Vallance also wrote a book commemmorating Blinky.
More info: Black Acrylic blog
Bridgewater Courier-News - Nov 3, 1983
Comments
We had a Chicken Delight (anyone remember those?) in my hometown and some wag had set up the sign out front of it to read "Same chicken we've been serving for twenty years!" This brought that to mind.
Posted by KDP on 03/03/17 at 04:46 PM
I prefer to honor a dead chicken by beginning the process of cremation, but interrupting it soon after, just about when the outside turns a golden brown.
Posted by Fritz G on 03/04/17 at 06:50 AM
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Category: Animals | Art | Death | 1970s