I have been fixated on the tail of the pig for the past year. The tail is beautiful by many standards—it makes a circle, enacts a spiral. The circle makes a hole; this hole is near other holes. Pigs have learned to curl their tails to protect themselves from other pigs; they are prone to antagonizing each other, and if pigs smell blood, they will cannibalize.
Some pigs are selectively bred to have tails that curl even more, because they are so beautiful. The practice of docking the tails of meat animals is widespread, depending mostly on the animal’s living conditions. Tighter, more stressful environments often mean more docked tails. Our pigs don’t need their tails docked; they have a good life.
Sheep’s tails protect their anus, vulva, and udders from weather.
Tails follow where the head goes; they are more vulnerable, less vital appendages. Peripheral, marginal. If the head is superior—the summit of the body—the tail is inferior, insignificant. It is the lowest point, beneath all else. To be the head is a blessing; to be the tail is a curse.
According to Jung, the hat takes on the significance of what goes on inside it.
Caroline David (b. 1994, Santa Barbara, CA) is an artist based in Los Angeles. She is a 2026 MFA candidate at the Milton Avery Graduate School of the Arts at Bard College in the sculpture discipline.
