featuring Death March by Hugo Crosthwaite,
a site specific mural commissioned by Richard Harris
a site specific mural commissioned by Richard Harris
28 January - 8 July 2012
Curated by Lucas Antony Cowan & Debra L. Purden,
Visual Arts Department of the Chicago Office of Tourism & Culture
Chicago Cultural Center, Illinois, USA
Curated by Lucas Antony Cowan & Debra L. Purden,
Visual Arts Department of the Chicago Office of Tourism & Culture
Chicago Cultural Center, Illinois, USA
Death March: Artist Statement
This work is a death march in the tradition of funerary marches where family, friends and general onlookers follow the deceased to their final resting place. At first glance, the drawing has the appearance of a festive occasion. There is a mass of characters, clumped together in groups, supporting and carrying effigies of death; puppets and floats that resemble a South American Carnival or a Mexican Day of the Dead procession. But with closer examination, these groups are a grotesque ensemble of human and monstrous figures that inflict death upon one another through war, rape, murder and disease. There is dark humor and contemplation over the concept of an afterlife, as all the characters march forward into what is an inevitable end.
The drawing references such works as Peter Bruegel’s “Triumph of Death”, engravings by Jose Guadalupe Posada of the Mexican Revolution and James Ensor’s, “Skeletons Fighting for the Body of a Hanged Man”.
Death March has a dual narrative layer. The bottom procession is the reality of death, suffering, turmoil and physical mortality. It also reflects on the nature of mourning and the fear of an existential void after death. The top, mystical and ethereal, is composed of puppets and death effigies. It presents the more abstract notion of death, the spiritual idea of an afterlife and the hope of reuniting with the dead.
This work is a death march in the tradition of funerary marches where family, friends and general onlookers follow the deceased to their final resting place. At first glance, the drawing has the appearance of a festive occasion. There is a mass of characters, clumped together in groups, supporting and carrying effigies of death; puppets and floats that resemble a South American Carnival or a Mexican Day of the Dead procession. But with closer examination, these groups are a grotesque ensemble of human and monstrous figures that inflict death upon one another through war, rape, murder and disease. There is dark humor and contemplation over the concept of an afterlife, as all the characters march forward into what is an inevitable end.
The drawing references such works as Peter Bruegel’s “Triumph of Death”, engravings by Jose Guadalupe Posada of the Mexican Revolution and James Ensor’s, “Skeletons Fighting for the Body of a Hanged Man”.
Death March has a dual narrative layer. The bottom procession is the reality of death, suffering, turmoil and physical mortality. It also reflects on the nature of mourning and the fear of an existential void after death. The top, mystical and ethereal, is composed of puppets and death effigies. It presents the more abstract notion of death, the spiritual idea of an afterlife and the hope of reuniting with the dead.
Exhibition Audio Tour Details
Listen to Hugo Crosthwaite's Statement on Death March (2:03)
Hello, my name is Hugo Crosthwaite, and you are looking at my drawing entitled, “Death March.” It is a pencil and charcoal drawing on 30 panels. It is 11 feet high by 25 feet long, and it depicts a march of death in the tradition of funerary marches where family, friends, and general onlookers follow the deceased to their final resting place. At first glance, the drawing has the appearance of a festive occasion. There is a mass of characters, clumped together in groups, supporting and carrying effigies of death; puppets and floats that resemble a South American Carnival or a Mexican Day of the Dead procession. But with closer examination, these groups are a grotesque ensemble of human and monstrous figures that inflict death upon one another through war, rape, murder and disease. There is dark humor and contemplation over the concept of an afterlife, as all the characters march forward into what is an inevitable end.
Death March has a dual narrative layer. The bottom procession is the reality of death, suffering, turmoil and physical mortality. It also reflects on the nature of mourning and the fear of an existential void after death. The top, mystical and ethereal, is composed of puppets and death effigies. It presents the more abstract notion of death, the spiritual idea of an afterlife and the hope of reuniting with the dead.
The drawing references such works as Peter Bruegel’s “Triumph of Death,” engravings by Jose Guadalupe Posada of the Mexican Revolution and James Ensor’s “Skeletons Fighting for the Body of a Hanged Man.” It took me about 8 months to finish this drawing, and it was commissioned by Richard Harris for the purpose of this exhibition.
Read Hugo Crosthwaite's Statement on Death March
Death March has a dual narrative layer. The bottom procession is the reality of death, suffering, turmoil and physical mortality. It also reflects on the nature of mourning and the fear of an existential void after death. The top, mystical and ethereal, is composed of puppets and death effigies. It presents the more abstract notion of death, the spiritual idea of an afterlife and the hope of reuniting with the dead.
The drawing references such works as Peter Bruegel’s “Triumph of Death,” engravings by Jose Guadalupe Posada of the Mexican Revolution and James Ensor’s “Skeletons Fighting for the Body of a Hanged Man.” It took me about 8 months to finish this drawing, and it was commissioned by Richard Harris for the purpose of this exhibition.
Read Hugo Crosthwaite's Statement on Death March
Listen to Richard Harris talk about his collection & featured works:
- Dial the audio tour number: (312) 635-2293
- Enter the item number, followed by the # key - Death March is item 12
There is no cost for the tour itself; your cell phone minute plan will apply.
- Each recording is approximately 1 to 2 minutes
- Enter another number anytime you want
This funeral procession leads you into the exhibition. It is a drawing by the Mexican-American artist, Hugo Crosthwaite. I commissioned this 25’ x 10’ mural that has 30 panels and took several months to complete. It was done specifically for this hallway at the Cultural Center for this show. I visited him at his small apartment in Brooklyn, where he could only work on a few panels at a time. Yet, he was able to imagine how the whole thing would look completed. Drawing on both Mexican and European traditions, especially Goya, he creates a collection of figures that show modern man’s ability to cause suffering and to turn death into a pageant. The large figure at the top center is the puppet master of death, and he directs the whole Death March.
Read Richard Harris' Statement on Death March
Read Richard Harris' Statement on Death March