Skeleton's Funeral

 

I had a show in Indianapolis once and I stayed over with this guy who had way too much junk, and I was looking through all of this when I found a crucifix that I just had to have. I think it's hand carved and hand painted, and it was a very unique thing, a folk art piece. The guy told me that he had taken it out of a box that had been set out for the trash truck. Anyway, I told him how much I liked it and he said "Take it, just send me a drawing." The drawing that I made for him was the first manifestation of this idea, the skeleton's funeral. That was years ago, but I've remained fascinated enough with the idea to eventually make a painting of it. The composition really is very similar to what I originally drew.

Unlikely as it might seem, I actually conceived of this idea while I was thinking on that Biblical phrase about letting the dead bury the dead. With all the attention and expense that we spend on funerals we don't seem to have very well gotten the point. Of course Jesus was talking about the spiritually dead, but here I was thinking about how curious that saying sounded when this goofy idea of skeletons at a funeral came into my mind. Another factor is that I'm somehow interested in satirical funeral scenes. "Gangster's Funeral" by Jack Levine comes to mind.

 

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