Lost, the sorrow of the loss of a child, is inspired by “The Angelus” (1857-59), an oil painting by French painter Jean-François Millet, which originally depicted a couple praying and mourning over their dead infant, later changed to a basket of potatoes after public outcry. This commemorates the loss of an infant by a family I knew. Razor blades are used to signify the emotions of the parents, outward-facing (anger) for the father, inward facing (guilt) for the mother.
The Angelus (French: L’Angélus) is an oil painting by French painter Jean-François Millet, completed between 1857 and 1859. Interestingly, just 14 years after the death of the artist, the work—which first sold for 1,000 francs in 1865—was resold by the copper merchant Secrétan for 553,000 francs and was a major impetus for Droit-de-suite:
Droit-de-suite, or, Artist Resale Rights is a moral right that is also vindicated as an economic right as well as an extension of the personhood theory of copyright, which claims that the creator of a work holds onto some property interests in the work as it is a part of their personhood. Moral rights allow artists to receive royalties for subsequent sales of their works and are inalienable, unwaivable, and non-assignable.[1]
Materials: antique photo (circa 1900) from North Carolina; liquid plastic; fish carcasses; bones, rose petals; salmon fossils; razor blades; spray paint
Dimensions: 49cm x 54cm x 3cm; 3kg