"Still Death"
150 x 100 cm, Acrylic on PVC, 2013
“Still Death” is a bold exploration of mortality and the illusion of life, playing on the line between realistic representation and unsettling imagination. Made in acrylic on PVC, the work features a human skull, a classic symbol of vanity and the ephemeral nature of life, but with a peculiarity that immediately catches the eye: lively, open human eyes seem to stare at us through the skull’s sockets.
This unexpected juxtaposition—a symbol of death animated by elements of life—creates a visual and emotional tension that questions the viewer about the nature of existence and the fear of the unknown. The eyes, red and rimmed with fatigue, introduce a dimension of humanity and anxiety into the otherwise cold and lifeless image of a skull. They are both alive and disconcerting, giving the impression that the skull itself is a conscious being, trapped between two worlds, between life and death.
The artist uses a deep black background to isolate the skull, accentuating its visual impact and creating a dark and contemplative atmosphere. The drips of paint escaping from the teeth and jaw add a sense of movement and decay, as if the skull is slowly melting or decomposing before our eyes, reinforcing the theme of mortality and decay.
“Still Death” is a meditation on the inevitability of death, but also on the strangeness of life itself, capturing a frozen moment in time where the living and the mortal meet in unsettling ways. The work pushes the viewer to confront their own fears and perceptions of life and death, in a space where the boundaries between these two states are intentionally blurred and redefined.
