According to its Wikipedia entry, Memento mori (Latin ‘remember (that you have) to die’ ), or also memento mortis, “remember death”, is the Latin medieval designation of the theory and practice of the reflection on mortality, especially as a means of considering the vanity of earthly life and the transient nature of all earthly goods and pursuits.
I was originally going to use the term for the title of this new painting, a 16″ by 20″ canvas. It has that sort of feel, from the Red Tree’s skull-like shaped crown ( the skull is the classic symbol of a memento mori) to the darkly clad figure in the field looking downward. It surely could be a reflection on our own mortality and the transient nature of earthly pursuits.
But I instead opted to use the flipside of this term, memento vivere which means remember to live. I see the Red Tree here acting as a vibrant symbol of life, of glorying in the moment despite the constant specter of our inevitable mortality.
Actually, it just occurred to me that there is a yin/yang thing working here with the Red Tree and the figure acting as opposing forces. I hadn’t noticed this before but it appears even in their physical relationship in the composition. The Red Tree is the light, the imperative to celebrate life and the lone figure is the dark, the admonition to remember the ephemeral nature of our existence.
And with most things, treading the middle path between two opposing forces is the healthy way to go. And maybe that is the message here– that we must remember our own mortality in order to live each day as fully as we can.
This painting, Memento Vivere,is part of Into the Common Ground, my solo show at the Kada Gallery which opens December 5, 2014.
Redtree Times 
This post today struck deep within in me something that is is difficult to express. I lost a very young nephew to Cancer this week. Both sides of memento mortis AND memento vivere resonated so deeply within…and peace washed over me.
Angela– I am so sorry to hear of the passing of your nephew. I am grateful for any solace you might take from this image. Please know that I am thinking of you and your family. Be well– Gary
On Wed, Nov 19, 2014 at 7:35 AM, Redtree Times wrote:
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Interesting fact. Google “standing under a tree gives energy.” I don’ t want to clutter your page with links, but the reading is fascinating. The figure under the tree does suggest “Memento vivere.”
My favorite examples of “memento mori” include Francisco de Quevedo, Salmo XVII, “Miré los muros de la patria mía” and Góngora’s “Mientras por competir con tu cabello.” They don’t dwell or bring up the image of the skull and crossbones, but the loss of spaces associated with home, city, country, mountains, personal effects, and the wilting of mortal beauty respectively.
I enjoy your paintings that remind me of “molas.”
It seems remarkable to me that I’ve never before come across the expression “memento vivere,” nor thought of it myself. As soon as I saw the words, I thought, “Well, of course.” I think your painting captures beautifully the experience of solace so many find in nature. Grief, loneliness or ennui so often send us into nature, and it’s there we find that call back to life.