Taft's Sculptures | Bone Facts | Bones in Art & Religion

At first it may seem strange that Taft Richardson makes his sculpture out of bones, but really he is partaking in a long, even ancient tradition. Many of our earliest human-made objects-in the form of small carvings, beads, and tools, were made of bone, antlers, and other animal parts. Even today, many decorative beads are made from animal bones.

Perhaps because bones were readily available, and still are in rural environments, they have frequently been turned into items of religious significance. Richardson notes that when he first collected bones, some of his friends were "afraid I was getting into 'voo-doo'," and, indeed, in many African and Afro-Caribbean communities, people still use animal bones in divination ceremonies.

By contrast, Richardson's use of bones is inspired by his Christian faith. In Christianity, too, there is a long history of the use of bones as dramatic reminders of the mortality of our bodies. Relics of saints are often kept on display in Catholic churches, and there is even one church in Czechoslovakia that has been decorated entirely with human bones since the sixteenth century (The Sedlec Ossuary).

Visual artists from many eras, places, and cultures have been inspired by bones. Perhaps the most famous example is Georgia O'Keefe, who frequently painted bones that she found in the New Mexico desert where she lived. Another well known American artist, Nancy Graves, collected bones and often cast them in bronze.

Those artists transformed bone images into traditional art media—paint and bronze—but there are also some who, like Taft, use the bones themselves. In addition, there are many instances of bones used symbolically in novels, stories, and poems. Many of these artists and their works, both religious and secular, express a similar kind of affection for bones that Taft Richardson expresses, as well as a fascination with the cycle of life and death. Here are a few examples of artists and writers who use bones in their work: Bone Art Links.

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