Memento Mori

Golly Bard, I heard a fly buzz

It's hard to believe, but only ten days after we buried Emma, the dog of Seba's mother

 died from a heart attack. Alpha was a 12 year old French bull terrier, whose health
 quickly deteriorated in the past few days largely due to the relentless heat 

of this crazy Tuscan summer (and the inherent problems of this breed).

Emma & Alpha, April 2012

The sudden disappearance of these two beloved faithful companions 
(in addition to the death of my grandmother a month ago), has brought out 
not just sadness and grief, but also an heightened sense of the fragility

and impermanence of life. Hence, I was compelled to explore the subject

and assemble this collection of contemporary vanitas for Animalarium.

While I am usually not drawn to macabre imagery, these artwork's 

unflinching look at death strongly resonates with me right now. 

Also, keeping myself busy helps me to cope with the loss!

Madeline von Foerster

Walton Ford, Baba B.G.

Lindsey Carr, Spoils of war

Kathleen Lolley, Can't let go

Tamar Mogendorff

Olaf Hajek, Dead bird

Francisco Toledo, Muerte grillo

Jan Fabre, Skull

ericailcane

Kate MacDowell

Roa

Marc Burkhardt, Resurrection

In the end, this to me is a reminder to live life as fully as possible,

appreciating the beauty and mystery of the here and now...