Framing Death
Interview by the Grin Creeper
G&C: What's with you and skulls? Why are you fascinated with death?
CU: I have loved skulls since my childhood. I would collect animal skulls and arrange the bones on my desk. My fascination with death stemmed from an attempt to understand it and to become comfortable with the idea. That’s why I naturally gravitated toward horror movies, and music with the same themes, at a young age.
G&C: Do you use real bones in your artwork? What do you use to make these beautiful framed art sculptures?
CU: I use real bones when I can, mostly cattle and deer, others are cast. The rest of the sculptures are assembled from things collected at thrift stores, garage sales, Halloween decor, the list goes on and on. Everything eventually gets used in the studio.
G&C: When did you start becoming obsessed with death?
CU: I will have to blame the Disney movie Fantasia for my obsession. There is a scene with a demon on a hill that conjures up spirits from the cemetery below. They swirl upward towards him as the town sleeps. I would say that was when it began.
To see Corey Urlacher’s amazing artwork and read his interview, order this bizarre issue of Girls and Corpses magazine here.
