Jay Ruland

Three Time Art Party Participant • Art party supporter

Rose 380

Artist’s Website

www.jayruland.com

Artist’s Statement

The roses in this series are past their prime. They are at serious risk of the trash bin. In our youth obsessed society, most images of aging or decay are met with revulsion. But if one’s gaze lingers, without judgment, then the simple beauty of the aging process might be seen.

This correlates directly with how we treat those around us who are aged. As a society, we push them to the side, ignore and otherwise disregard their place in our social order. That (dis)placement is not simply disregarding the sum of their contributions to our world, but even what they mean to us now. We’d just rather not think about it. But what does it mean to lose one’s youth? Or even one’s life?

There is beauty in the natural process of aging. We turn away from images of decay because we don’t wish to see them; we don’t wish to think of it. But as each day passes, we are getting closer to sitting in that chair, or lying in that bed.