Artist Statement

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Mortality is an inevitable fact that we as humans all know and fear. The photos in Insectum et Cibus (meaning Insect and Food in Latin), consist of inanimate objects such as deceased insects and decaying fruits and vegetables, symbolize life and death and the predictable fate of all living organisms.  

 

This series was inspired by the art history term Vanitas. Vanitas art is an intriguing genre which features objects rich in morose symbolism such as skulls, decaying flowers, rotting food, and lifeless insects in order to remind the viewer of the certainty of death.

 

All of the fruits and vegetables photographed in Insectum et Cibus were grown in the artists personal garden and the insects were provided by the Biology department at the University of North Dakota.

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