When Adam from BodyMod.org approached me with the Human Bone Project, without hesitation I said “Yeah! Lets do this! It’s gonna stir up some shit!” And sure enough it did. I found myself fielding all sorts of questions and objections, but being from Texas, politically INCORRECT and RIGHT all the time we forged ahead. Switching gears I started to brainstorm design ideas and drew from influences of Tibetan culture and the Circle of Life and Death. I chose to use the skull bone (death) as a background to the Swastika (an ancient symbol for life). Human bone and the Swastika are taboo in western society. They are hidden away and buried. We are told to forget. We are not expected to confront death and our reality. In many older cultures and societies, death is viewed and accepted as part of the natural everyday world. Being in tune with the reality of the circle of Life and Death supplies us with fundamental knowledge. Knowledge that can be applied as life lessons to countless situations.
Throughout my years of traveling in the remote regions of the Himalayas, I got the chance to witness the use of human bone for ceremonial and decorative purposes. At first these experiences were shocking, but slowly I realized, viewed in the light and with no prejudice there should be no aversion to these practices. I am by no means implying that I am recreating these traditions, but I do believe there is a basic need for us to confront death and life as one. Whether this cycle is strictly run by our DNA and millions of years of evolution or guided by the Hand of God I cannot say, but I do believe our bleached out, watered down western world could use a little more Death……and therefore Life.
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