Busacca Gallery

Artist Kim Eric Lilot: "Art is the search for understanding and expression. The awareness of my mortality (Memento Mori) reminds me to live, to be present in the moment and appreciate the 'preciousness' of life. I strive to create dramatic narrative subjects of appreciation and expression within this spirit." This highly sculptural, three dimensional, anatomical skeleton necklace, entitled: 'Epiphany', is in the artist's Memento Mori Series. Fabricated in 14kt Palladium white gold the skeleton's torso encases an anatomically accurate bas' relief carving of the human torso in natural, undyed Ox-Blood Coral (origin: Adriatic Sea) along with a three-dimensional heart carved out of Rubellite Tourmaline. The arms are cleverly designed to be fully articulated with hidden ball-and-socket joinery inside the shoulder bones (scapula) as well as anatomically hinged elbow joints. Artist Kim Eric Lilot: "A life-long fascination with the human figure and anatomy led to this creation. Edvard Munch's painting 'The Scream' was also an obvious influence." The Ox-Blood Coral intestines, along with the Rubellite Tourmaline heart were carved by the German Master Lapidayist Dieter Pauly. Herr Pauly is descended from a long line of gem carving artisans as well as medical professionals. As you can see in the carving's image he studiously re-created the anatomical likenesses for this project. The necklace measures 20" in it's entire length. One-of-a-kind, unique edition: 01/01

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Memento_mori

Memento Mori is a Latin phrase meaning "Be mindful of death" and may be translated as "Remember that you are mortal," "Remember you will die," "Remember that you must die," or "Remember your death". It names a genre of artistic creations that vary widely from one another, but which all share the same purpose, which is to remind people of their own mortality.In ancient Rome, the phrase is said to have been used on the occasions when a Roman general was parading through the streets of Rome during the victory celebration known as a triumph. Standing behind the victorious general was a slave, and he had the task of reminding the general that, though he was up on the peak today, tomorrow was another day. The servant did this by telling the general that he should remember that he was mortal: "Memento mori." It is also possible that the servant said, rather, "Respice post te! Hominem te esse memento!": "Look behind you! Remember that you are but a man!", as noted in Tertullian in his Apologeticus.[1] Another phrase used in such a setting is Sic transit gloria mundi. The concept, in the art of classical antiquity, was more frequently embodied in the phrase carpe diem, or "seize the day," a phrase most well-known from Horace's ode to Leuconoe[2]. This carries echoes of the admonishment to "eat, drink, and be merry, for tomorrow we die".