Paola Ferrario

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I have always been astonished by how utilitarian photographs become visionary images when taken out of context. When I first saw this picture, in a pile at a flea market, I pondered at the visual relationship between the lilies in the background and the carved irises on the marble. It was as if the stone itself had the power to trap life as a graceful fossil. I smiled at the unexpected memento mori that had suddenly materialized in my hands, but because life is stronger than death, the melancholic meditation quickly left my brain, replaced by the image of a modest undertaker trying to sell tombstones to white Protestants. “Your first name can go here . . .  and you have the option to engrave up to 6 names!”  Maybe this product-shot has an existential message. It reminds us that as we make choices throughout life, some of our actions will become irreversible and static like the carved flowers in the decorative symmetry of the monument here portrayed. Even buying a cemetery plot will bind you for a short eternity. This is a powerful picture; every time I look at it I’m compelled to make some sort of resolution. Today, being in an optimistic state, I pledge to choose ever-changing life, smell the last roses of autumn and have my ashes scattered to the winds!