Life and Death, A Cabinet of Curiosity

Instead of translating January's theme in a literal way, I decided to tackle the matter metaphorically. I thought it might be interesting to choose a concept that we, as human beings, find very curious. A topic containing a well spring of unanswered questions.

As I sifted and sorted through different possibilities, the idea of life and death was something that kept presenting itself, over and over again. And although there is plenty of medical information regarding both of these occurrences, they are still, in many ways, quite a mystery.

The idea of pattern or patterning is very subtle in this piece. Life and death is actually repeated several times throughout the art in both images and words.

This particular work even inspired a bit of poetic prose which I used for a separate collaborative or challenge, a Winter Poetry Postcard Exchange, that I am participating in.

"How do we bridge the gap,
these minutes between life and death,
beginning and ending.

The expanse of our days carefully ordered,
writhing in the beautiful ecstasy of fate and indecision
for tis not the start and stop of it that truly matters,
but each occurring middle moment to become
the absolute curiosity of all things belonging
to heaven and earth"


Art and images copywrite 2009 by Tracie Lyn Huskamp