By Ann McCreary
A Confluence Gallery art exhibit on the subject of death that opens on Saturday (Sept. 27) has been planned for more than a year — long before the Methow Valley was struck by July’s devastating firestorms and August’s destructive mudslides.
As the community works to move forward — and in some cases start over again — in the wake of these disasters, the upcoming exhibit offers a “poignant” way to approach the subject of death, said Joanne Marracci, co-curator of the exhibit with her husband, Vern White.
Death can be viewed not only as the end of something, but as a process of change or rebirth, Marracci said.
“This is really timely … because so many people [in the Methow Valley] have gone through such drastic changes. The end of things can imply the beginning of the next thing,” said Marracci, a jewelry artist.
“Most of us, even those not directly affected by the fires and floods, have experienced a profound sense of change here in the valley. A sense that nothing is permanent, that nothing can be taken for granted,” she said.
Called “The Big Sleep: Conversations on Finality,” the exhibit displays the work of 29 artists who explore their own personal and intimate thoughts on the subject of death.
“We called it ‘Conversations on Finality’ because we want to get people talking. People don’t want to talk about death. But for themselves and their families, it’s good to get a conversation going,” Marracci said. “It’s a very personal subject. Maybe as personal as religion, and just as volatile.”
The artistic interpretations in the exhibit range from “comical … to serious visions of death and beyond,” she said. “Some pieces are looking more at where we came from than where we go. It’s not morbid or depressing. It’s more open and hopeful.”
Death can also mean the end of ideologies, civilizations, countries or concepts, White said. A painter and metal sculptor, White created a piece with a political statement “about the death of individuality in this surveillance state.”
Artists were asked to submit a statement about each of their works in the exhibit, which will be mounted next to the artwork “because everyone has such a different take on this subject,” Marracci said.
The gallery will also encourage conversations about death with a free workshop and panel discussion for the community on Oct. 29. The event will feature speakers discussing various aspects of death such as “a good death” and “death midwifery,” Marracci said. Details will be announced later.
The exhibit opens Saturday with a reception from 4 – 8 p.m., and continues through Nov. 8.
