Tuesday, February 16, 2010

An invitation to let death be beautiful






I had an interesting response to my planted painting at the benefit Saturday night.
To quote a few;
"I really wanted to buy your piece, but how do you keep it alive?"
"I love your piece, and thought of buying it but its such high maintenance."
"I am a plant murderer, so I cannot have your piece because I would kill it."

These responses surprised me by our obvious natural inclination to want to keep everything alive, (as if we were that powerful). To perceive the living state as the only beautiful state. To want to attach ourselves to one perception of stagnant beauty, all of which is impossible if we accept that life is dynamic; in a constant state of change and transformation.

This response to the living paintings, has me thinking about working with the invitation to accept the transformation of life to include the beauty of death.

Ironically, Saturday I began documenting my tulips dying. I love tulips mostly when they begin to die. When they start to wilt they do this incredible dying ballet with their petals, they twirl with such fragile beauty, their colors deepen and they expose their tender inside.

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