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| Brazilian native, Tonico Lemos Auad, transforms commonplace materials into forms that suggest the passing of time. The artist is often inspired by incidental daily experiences and mundane objects, in this case, bunches of grapes. Skull is made of dried grape stems woven into an intricate skull. Lemos Auad contrasts the haunting form of the skull and all that it represents with playful glitter attached to the ends of the vines where grapes have dried and fallen off.
Although the piece is diminutive, it conveys a great deal of significance. Skull references seventeenth-century Baroque still-lifes, in which the presence of overripe fruit serves as a memento mori, a symbol of life’s brevity and a reminder of human mortality. Whether he is poking fun at the seriousness of these works, or paying homage to them, is for the viewer to decide. Making deterioration a part of the artistic process is simple but infinitely clever, allowing Lemos Auad’s artwork to continue evolving after he has concluded his contribution. In Skull, the viewer sees that the process of the grapes’ decay is integral, and even essential, to the creation of this piece. This theme of decay and progression is also prevalent in Lemos Auad’s other work.  (For Grades 4-6) What material(s) did the artist use to create this sculpture? In the seventeenth-century, still-lifes of overripe fruit were painted to symbolize the shortness of life. Why do you think the artist used dried grape stems to create a sculpture of a skull? How is this like the seventeenth-century Baroque still-lifes? Why do you think Lemos Auad wanted the piece to continue to decay after he was done with it? Why do you think the artist used glitter on the ends of the vines where the grapes had fallen off? How does the glitter change the mood of the piece? |
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Tonico Lemos Auad Brazil, born 1968 Skull Grape stems and gold sparkles, 2004 Gift of J. Todd Figi and Norma “Jake” Yonchak 2005.9 © Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego |
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