Still lifes are works of art that depict “mostly inanimate subject matter, typically commonplace objects which may be either natural (food, flowers, plants, rocks, or shells) or man-made (drinking glasses, books, vases, jewelry, coins, pipes, and so on).” They date back to the ancient Romans, as artists never seem to tire of fruit and strategically placed goblets.
Australian artist Marian Drew has breathed new life (read: death) into the form by adding roadkill to the still life tableaus. She talked about it in a fabulous feature over on Slate :
“You sort of grow up with roadkill in Australia, and people—me included—try desperately to ignore it,” said Drew. “[Doing the series] seemed like a way to translate the situation of animals dying as a consequence of our dominance of the environment.”
It’s important to note that none of the animals were unethically killed for her art, they are all donated after being found dead or as roadkill. Unless, of course, you consider killing animals with our massive futuristic driving machines and leaving them on the side of the road a little unethical. Then, you know …
