Dias De Los Muertos
To simply view the images in this project, please click on the picture below.
For those of you who wish to read something about this project, my statement is available below.
Just as the moon must travel across the face
of the sun during an Annular Eclipse, so too
must humans make their own journey through
life. The eclipse ends with the death of the sun
as it swallows the moon resulting in an ominous
ring of fire, burning the edges of a moon
shrouded in darkness. This lasts but a brief
moment until the moon emerges from a reborn
sun as both pursue their passages yet again
across the cosmos. In a likewise manner, humans
also advance toward their end and await
rebirth and transformation into something else.
Throughout the ages, people have searched
to find meaning in their lives with a sense
of their place in history. One way we achieve
this is through the appreciation of the accomplishments
of our ancestors and predecessors.
This search is often marked by moments of
rebirth and renewal. Sometimes these moments
are minor and symbolic; other times they are
the result of life-altering experiences.
We often share these moments with
people who are special to us. As our
journey lengthens and these people disappear,
we wish to remember and memorialize
our connection with them by marking these
milestones as recurring anniversary dates.
These dates become shared from generation
to generation through annual celebration or
ritual. Our children need these observations to
nurture their own identity in a fusion of time,
place, and family.
Southwest Native American folklore, as well
as in most other cultures around the world,
is rich in the tradition of remembering their
ancestors. Celebrating the life and not just the
death is important to teach future generations.
Ritual observances, like the Day of the Dead
and Memorial Day, remain important vehicles
for this time of remembrance. Whether we
dress up or eat the same food that our loved
ones once enjoyed, or whether we silently
celebrate their acts of courage, our roots will be
preserved and through us our ancestors achieve
a sense of immortality.
My latest visual allegory represents a
metaphorical attempt to portray individual
days of celebration and remembrance of
those who have touched our lives. These are the
journeys to be traveled; lessons to be learned;
and transformations to be made and shared and
observed.