Memento Mori
The Life and Death of Objects Left Behind
Artists: Kristan Bonde, Megan Cayler, Gerardo Chow, Morgan Erser, Ben Gadbaw, Melissa Levin, Edith Mondragon, Jessice Niello, Kevin Quandt, Sharon Siskin, Piper Skillman, James Wardron
The exhibition is being organized by 10 USF visual arts students.
The artists strive to reinterpret traditional memento mori imagery. Inthe footsteps of the Romantics, the artists acknowledge the notion ofthe sublime nature of death by embracing the ideas of change and loss.Ultimately, the artists strive to reinvent these very notions, in order to provide a contemporary and thoughtful meditation on the meaning ofobjects left behind when a person dies
The Life and Death of Objects Left Behind is an exhibition that explores the themes of existence, transcendence and renewal in the objects and artifacts left when a person dies. Ten artists respond to these themes by manipulating objects — found, purchased at estate sales or thrift shops, passed down from generations or fabricated.
Memento Mori features works in painting, drawing, sculpture, etching and mixed media. Artist Jessica Niellos five dry point etchings
withmonoprint overlay, a series entitled Eulogy (2005), chronicle the life of her grandmother, sitting in her favorite chair. The final etching, Eulogy V, depicts the chair alonecaptur-Eulogy V, depicts the chair alonecaptur-Eulogy V ing the quiet essence of human frailty, and reminding the viewer of the literal translation of memento mori: remember, you must die. Participating artists include Kristan Bonde, Megan Cayler, Gerardo Chow,Morgan Ersery, Ben Gadbaw, Melissa Levin, Edith Mondragon, JessicaNiello, Kevin Quandt, Sharon Siskin, Piper Skillman, and James Waldron..