ANNA STEINHAGEN

The inspiration for "Dead Foxes" has its roots in several ancient cultural beliefs. The Celts believed the fox to be a guide through the spiritual world and the Chinese similarly believed it to symbolize the afterlife- perhaps representing signals from spirits of the deceased. Also notable: in many Native American religions, foxes were thought to be symbols of dark magic that had the ability to move through different dimensions.

In this lithograph, the ring of foxes represents the cyclical nature of life and death. Three dead foxes appear to be leading one another to the underworld, while their counterparts seem to be entering the living world. The original image was hand drawn with a grease pencil, giving the work a degree of physicality and an organic quality.

The colorized version of "Dead Foxes" pushes the piece one step further, emphasizing the realness of the animals' death. The pink hue in the background creates an uncomfortable and unnatural tone, highlighting the surreal nature of the scene.