DRINKING WITH THE DEAD

Hi, My name is Lamar Van Dyke. Here I am at this weird time in my life, billed as my "twilight years". My friends are leaving planet earth at a rapid rate, and those of us who are left are lining up, flexing our feet in anticipation of kicking that damn bucket whenever it crashes our party. To celebrate and illustrate the complexities of this twilight zone, I'm creating an art installation for Day of the Dead, at Fogue Studios and Gallery in Seattle.

Dia de los Muertos is a day when the veil between the worlds is thin. It's a day when it's possible to talk with and party with those we love who are no longer here with us.

This installation will consist of enhanced life size cutouts of dead people. a few famous, but most... way more personal.

On Nov. 2, I will arrange these cutouts in the gallery with name tags..."Hello My Name Was"...along with other interesting information about their lives and their deaths. We will then open the doors and welcome the public to our cocktail party....Drinking With the Dead, our interpretation and contribution to the festive nature of Mexico's dia de los Muertos.

The money raised will be used for supplies, materials and promotional outreach, as well as the community oriented opening event.