Toward Eternity: An Artistic Exploration of Death and the Fear of Dying
Toward Eternity: An Artistic Exploration of Death and the Fear of Dying
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Date
2024-05
Authors
Thomas, McKenzie
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Abstract
There has always been a close relationship between art and mortality.
Explorations of death, the afterlife, and the mortal reality of the viewer have been
featured in famous works of art throughout much of history, and there is in fact a genre
just for this phenomenon: vanitas paintings. This project is a modern revision of the
common imagery and underlying meaning of vanitas paintings, using mirrors as canvases
for death-related images to further connect the audience to them— literally seeing
themselves inside of the art. In doing so, this exhibition has become a means of honoring
those who embraced death as an old friend when their time came and an exploration of
death anxiety and how deeply it permeates our society. In turn, this made space for
conversations about death, anxiety, funerary customs, and even religion.