Keith Bentley
The art of Keith W. Bentley is shaped as much by the artist’s east-coast heritage as it is by his love for the inorganic and the morbid. Born in Burlington, Vermont and raised just over the Canadian Border in New Brunswick, his multi-disciplinary approach and bizarre use of materials seek to immortalize bodies and practices that have since passed: everything from dead animals and salvaged industrial objects, to the most obscure of Victorian traditions. Currently based out of Toronto and Baltimore, his works have been exhibited throughout North America and are currently making their way into public and private collections worldwide.
Funeral etiquette from the latter half of the Victorian era dictated that widows were to wear black veils for a mourning period of eighteen months. While the veil would initially cover the length of the widow’s body when lowered, she was permitted to replace the original piece for a lighter one after the anniversary of her loved one’s death. In some cases, she was even allowed to gradually trim its length until her face was completely uncovered by mourning’s end.
Following on this tradition, Cauda Equina mourns the death of more than 250 horses, all of which were slaughtered in processing plants. Instead of crape, this veil has been fabricated by hand, embroidering the hairs from each horse onto fabric then draped over the body of a taxidermy form. But unlike its Victorian predecessor, this veil will not be lifted anytime soon. Thousands of horses are sent to processing plants each year. Cauda Equina will forever be their eulogy.