Death Came Dancing In On A Stick

April-Kaye Ikinci

My friend took me in extreme pain, to Alfred Hospital (Melbourne) Emergency, where they put me in a coma to save my life. After 4 days, I “awoke” on machines in Intensive Care Unit, learning I would live, cause unknown. Shocked, dealing with my nearly dying, I part–convalescenced, sat in the aftermath to slowly heal with the spectre of dealing with resuscitation and death always there. I painted the beginning of this image. The shocking contrasting central motifs came in one with title, both new to me, shamanlike, which was apt at Death’s unexpected appearance. The surprising, amusing theatrical aspect, despite the serious experience and subject for me, predicated the unexpectedness, the fear and horror of approaching death, the remembered pain, the drama and the mundaneness, the miracle of survival due to the care and diligence of others, the continuing aftermath, the hope and preciousness of a future, and gratitude of each day’s potential. The in-you-face-of-it-all. It felt right: full of symbols, signs, personal codes, signifiers. Over time the colour came in. Some viewers expressed discomfort commenting about conflated surrealist or disparate techniques, especially the skull/head on the stick simultaneously frightening and frightened. As a long-term painter, I feel honoured that it sang me.

April-Kaye Ikinci 2020