Using fruit as a metaphor for human life, this project tracks and records through painterly photographs the natural life cycle of decaying fruit and my attempts at arresting or delaying that inevitable decay.

It is the most natural human impulse to hold on to what is precious in our lives. And even though we may understand impermanence is a fundamental truth in life, we often choose to ignore it, perhaps as an indirect attempt to cheat it. This can often lead to great suffering as we try to hold on to things we know are destined to be lost to us, whether it’s our youth, the lives of loved ones, or even our own lives. Our fear of this most basic of truths, that we all die, while understandable, often leads us to foolishly attempt to fortify ourselves against the inevitable—we have at our disposal countless remedies, all promising to slow the unrelenting march of time and the gradual decay of our own bodies.

The fruits in the still life are rotting away. I have attempted to halt their decay by storing them in low temperatures. I have also covered them with gold paint in order to mask the decay and artificially prolong their beauty and freshness. But despite all my efforts, the decay deepens and marches towards the inevitable end.