Crocodylus Freddy (Previously Crocodylus Eugenie)

Porky Hefer

2015
Leather, steel, sheepskin
126 x 285 x 120 cm | 49.6 x 112.2 x 47.2 in.

AP1, Edition of 2 + 1AP

With trademark humour, Hefer invites his audience into the belly of the beast: the crocodile’s cavernous mouth stands agape, lined with cosy sheepskin and rimmed by a row of spiky leather teeth. A prolific sketcher, Hefer’s intention with this collection was to bring his drawings to life, retaining the animated
quality of his hand-drawn lines, here emphasized by the work’s accordion stitching. His crocodile eschews menace, creating space for wonder at its unique characteristics. As an apex predator, they are considered a keystone species because they have a disproportionate impact on their environment relative to their population size. They regulate prey populations and help maintain the balance of the entire food chain.

Hefer offers these fascinating facts: “Over the course of their lifetimes, crocodiles will replace each of their approximately
80 teeth up to 50 times over. Believe it or not, they often shed tears while they eat their prey, albeit not an expression of regret – hence the phrase ‘to cry crocodile tears’. They can hold their breath underwater for more than an hour, and sleep with one eye wide open.”