Colbert has this very funny segment “cheating death” in which he satirizes health issues in the news. The serious side of cheating death is obviously a central topic in all cultures.
After leaving (really leaving) Pittsburgh I had a long list of things I wanted to do. One of them was to go to MOMA on
one of my trips to visit NYC area relatives.
I spotted this painting By Ensor "Masks confronting death" (1888) from across a long gallery and immediately interpreted it as a celebration of temporary triumph over (cheating of) death. I was in the process of rebuilding my personal illusion of immortality, without which it is impossible to function in the everyday world. One reconstructs a personal mask with which to confront death and your own mortality. I got a small group of friends together for the following halloween to dress up as if we were confronting death in this mocking, confident way. I have a picture in my office of this group -- Meg and I and Peter and Drew. Meg looks lovely dressed as an angel. I of course was dressed as death.
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