Death And The Maiden

This sculpture is made with wire and paper. Size: 50 cm in diameter, 13 cm width.

The natural world and female identity are at the core of my arts practice. Reflecting on their shadow sides includes confronting fears. What is greater than the fear of death, that natural phenomenon which eludes human conquest? My sculpture depicts its recent incarnation, the corona virus, which is now activating collective primordial emotions, including mine. It also re-confirms my resolve to deal with my mortality through art. I re-phrase a quote by Isaac Asimov: if I was told my life will end tomorrow, I would instantly begin a new canvas and finish it quickly. The title for my sculpture is borrowed from the song of my fellow countryman Franz Schubert.

“No art is possible without a dance with death.” —Kurt Vonnegut