Death

“Death”
5”x7”
Screenprint using black water based ink on deckled-edge Stonehenge paper
2025

In some Native American myths and American literature, the call of the Whip-poor-will is a death omen. The call heard outside a door or window could mean imminent death for an occupant inside. In some tales the bird is a “psychopomp,” a being that transports a newly deceased soul from the living world to the dead. In this depiction I’ve combined the image of an Eastern Whip-poor-will with other mythic symbolisms of death. At the top, I’ve included seven points, which often represent a bridging between worlds. Prominent in the sky are the constellations Corvus (a raven), Crater (a cup), and Hydra (a giant serpent). In Greek mythology these constellations are thought to be the gates to the underworld. Bordering the night sky a five-petaled rose signifies beauty, purification, and immortality, and is one of Aphrodite’s attributes featured on Death tarot cards. I was inspired to make this imagery after hearing the Eastern Whip-poor-will for the first time the night before I saw my mamaw for the last time, Norma E. Moore (May 5, 1937 ~ June 8, 2024).