%C2%A9 1997 Jeff Millikan. All rights reserved.
The Birds Were Too Beautiful to Remove, 1997
Jeff Millikanexpand_more
Direct positive camera back printexpand_more
Gift of funds from Ellen and Fred Wellsexpand_more 97.144.1
Not on Viewexpand_more
Jan Vonck's painting, Still Life of Dead Birds, and Jeff Millikan's photograph, The Birds Were Too Beautiful to Remove, were created three centuries apart in different cultural contexts. Yet, they both offer an example of a momento mori, a symbolic representation of the fact that we all die. Indeed, what is more common and resolute among cultures than death' Both artists present images of dead birds: Vonck lays them out neatly on a table while Millikan carefully piles them at the base of a window frame. Vonck's birds are certainly not too beautiful. Loosely painted with brown and black colors, they suggest a brooding and depressing atmosphere. On the other hand, Millikan's colorful birds suggest a more poetic and euphoric notion of death…too beautiful. Indeed, visual traditions, such as the momento mori, pass from one culture and time to another, but their translation is a reminder that differences are as important as continuities.
Details
- Title
- The Birds Were Too Beautiful to Remove
- Artist Life
- born 1952
- Role
- Photographer
- Accession Number
- 97.144.1
- Curator Approved
This record has been reviewed by our curatorial staff but may be incomplete. These records are frequently revised and enhanced. If you notice a mistake or have additional information about this object, please email collectionsdata@artsmia.org.
Does something look wrong with this image? Let us know
© 1997 Jeff Millikan. All rights reserved.