Artist Bruce McClain found his “creative identity” in a dead leaf.
“Look at this leaf. It’s deformed. It’s dead,” McClain recalled. “But there was an intrinsic beauty about it.”
The observation inspired “The Elder Leaf Collection,” a series of graphite drawings on paper that merges plants and people in an effort to evoke the elegiac process of aging and dying for all living things.
“If you can find yourself in any of this,” McClain said. “That is, to ask a question about your own mortality, or your own struggles with aging, or what threatens you about aging. Well, I’ve accomplished my goal.”
Watch the attached video to learn more about McClain’s art, and its inspiration. This video is part of “Age-Old Questions,” a collaborative project by Kansas City PBS and Flatland, addressing critical issues for families with aging members.
Brad Austin is a video producer for Kansas City PBS.
Support for “Age-Old Questions” is provided by William T. Kemper Foundation, Commerce Bank, Trustee. Additional support is provided by Husch Blackwell.
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