A Little Death
Rechtstraat 23
Sam Taylor-Johnson’s A Little Death reinterprets the still life tradition by casting time in a leading role. Initially, we see a classical painted tableau of a dead hare and a peach on a table. Appearances, however, prove deceptive, as we realise we are looking at a time-lapse recording of a remarkable transformation, where maggots and insects slowly consume the hare while the peach remains unspoiled.
This contrast of vitality and decay exposes the tension between life and death. Georges Bataille explored this liminality through the idea of la petite mort – the orgasm – as a moment of self-loss in which the body dissolves. The title A Little Death plays with this dual meaning. The hare, symbolising virility and fertility, becomes a reminder of fleetingness, while the soft and unblemished peach seems to embody a yearning for eternal youth.
Instead of sugarcoating decay, Taylor-Johnson exposes its raw and unrelenting nature. And yet, as the meticulously lit and carefully positioned hare slowly decomposes, a strange beauty emerges. Its inevitable disintegration compels us to keep watching with a conflicting sense of fascination and unease.
Thanks to ZILCH fashion & BRCK bedrijfsmakelaars.