RACHEL STERN – YES, DEATH
2016-06-13“Yes, death. Death must be so beautiful. To lie in the soft brown earth, with the grasses waving above one’s head, and listen to silence. To have no yesterday, and no to-morrow. To forget time, to forget life, to be at peace.” – Oscar Wilde
New York-based artist Rachel Stern turns her lens away from the studio and constructed tableaux, and towards the enigmatic natural landscapes of rural cemeteries, a cultural feat of elegant design, sculpture and elaborate gardens.
In Yes, Death, comprised of a new photo series and accompanying immersive installation, Stern reclaims the Mid-Nineteenth Century vision of the “garden cemetery.” Here, the burial site, an entity that we put indefinite amounts of energy into avoiding, is returned to its original functions – of play, leisure, and horticultural grander. The title of the show, taken from an Oscar Wilde quote, gives way to the artist’s conspicuous sense of humor, and continuous play with multiple narratives, perspectives, and iconography.
Opposite – Magnolia Cemetery, Charleston, 2016
Exhibition runs through to July 31st, 2016
Black & White Gallery / Project Space
56 Bogart Street
Brooklyn
NY 11206
New York
www.blackandwhiteartgallery.com
