Ars Moriendi
  • Intro
  • Exhibition
    • Installation Images
    • Harbingers
    • Mortality
    • Grief
    • The Afterlife
  • Interactives
  • Resources
MORTALITY
Death is an unavoidable part of the cycle of life, yet many of us avoid accepting our own mortality. By coming to terms with the inevitability of death, it can help remind us how precious life is and teach us how to live more fully in this life. The artists in this exhibition have explored mortality in their own unique ways.

How are the artists confronting their mortal existence through these works?

Picture




CHRISTIAN DEGN PETERSEN
To the Evening Star  2019
ink on paper
Courtesy of the Artist

CHRISTIAN DEGN PETERSEN
As If the Light Never Shone  2017​
ink on paper
Courtesy of the Artist

There is beauty to be found in these works that are generally dark in nature. Each of these pieces show themes of mysticism, death, and nature, and have symbols that represent the experience of moving from this life to the next.   
The star has been a fixed constant in the sky since the beginning of time and symbolizes the eternal.

The skull is the part of us that houses our brain, our mind. It acts as a launching point for the spirit and visually illustrates the idea of our consciousness leaving the body. 

What other symbols do you see in these works? 

Picture

Picture
RALPH HEWETT SCHOFIELD
Yalu River Dead Casson Reservoir  1954
oil on board
Gift from David and Ingrid Nemelka

War is difficult and many have a hard time reconciling what they see in times of war. This painting is a depiction of the Battle of the Yalu River during the Korean War. 

What sticks out in this painting? 

How might a member of the armed forces view this painting differently? 


Picture
DOUG WILDFOERSTER
Birthday Party  2017
watercolor on clay-coated board
Courtesy of the Artist

As we age and remember our life, we can all identify specific times that we would like to freeze. Some we want to replay, to analyze why we made that decision; some we hold close so that we never forget them. Ultimately, these are skills that help us come to terms with our own mortality. 

How many moments does this painting freeze? 

When you celebrate your birthday, how do you reflect on your life?



Picture
CHAUNCEY SECRIST
Even That Which is Splintered and Broken Can be Reborn in Beauty  2013
mixed media
Gift of the Artist
​
CHAUNCEY SECRIST
Pyre  2017
assemblage
Courtesy of the Artist

What connects people regardless of religion? Pyre is an examination of death and an amalgamation of different death rituals. The materials used represent different faiths and cultures. Although each is different, they bear in common the universal idea that each of us will be confronted by our own mortality and must find ways to come to terms with that. 

What do you need to do in order to come to terms with mortality? 
Picture

Picture
SRI WHIPPLE
Untitled  2015
oil on board
Courtesy of the Artist

Whipple says, “In my art I unite the masters craft and symbolic narratives with cartoon surrealism and subconscious mysticism to create esoteric metaphors for the modern human.” 

How does this painting represent mortality to you? 

Do you see any symbols in this piece? What do they represent?


Picture

CHRISTIAN DEGN PETERSEN
​Nephilim, or An Undying Fool Influences the Deluge of Human Souls According to His Will  2018
ink on paper
Courtesy of the Artist


Slideshow:
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  • Intro
  • Exhibition
    • Installation Images
    • Harbingers
    • Mortality
    • Grief
    • The Afterlife
  • Interactives
  • Resources