"I hope the exit is joyful - and I hope never to return"

this painting was done for the Autumn Society's show celebrating "Dia De Los Muertos" at Philadelphia's Proximity Gallery (2434 East Dauphin Street!) October 1st - November 1st

feel free to click for a larger view!

i also burned/carved into a frame for the piece

the piece came a bit from a lot of sources. one is the Catrinas of Mexico, which are elegant female skeletal figures intended to show that the rich and fashionable, despite their pretensions to importance, are just as susceptible to death as anyone else is. i like how a "king may go through the progress through the guts of a beggar" from Hamlet illustrating death as the great equalizer. my disdain for celebrity worship and the upsetting things popular culture and the media often celebrates were the impetus here

Octavio Paz observes that, undaunted by death, the Mexican has no qualms about getting up close and personal with death, noting that he "...chases after it, mocks it, courts it, hugs it, sleeps with it; it is his favorite plaything and his most lasting love." even old samurai thought upon death just enough to find peace with it, however and whenever it came. my favorite is when my Dad coined the term "Miracle of Death" that coincides alongside the Miracle of Life. that would be something i would love to touch upon artistically someday

for now, the show should be a fun one. happy holiday!