THE REINCARNATION OF DEAD STUMP

A daily trek to class requires walking by an old cemetery, headstones crooked with tree roots, and hallowed ground luring passersby to wander onto the patchy grass. In the middle of the cemetery stands a dead stump, possibly struck by lightning, perhaps killed by a blight or pests, or simply old age. 

Inspired by the stained glass of Greek Orthodox churches, this piece contrasts bright, lively colors with the somber structure of something that has now died and withered away. Though in a state of decomposition, the dead stump still stands erect, still punctuates the graveyard like an exclamation point. Neither happy nor sad, the graveyard stump is simple. It reminds us of the natural order of life and death, but that existence does not need to end there. We’re still remembered, and through memory relinquish ourselves to the perception of others.