The word toxikon is as old as Greek civilization – it means “a poison in which arrows are dipped.”

Memento mori (Latin for 'remember that you have to die') is an artistic or symbolic trope acting as a reminder of the inevitability of death. The concept has its roots in the philosophers of classical antiquity and Christianity, and appeared in funerary art and architecture from the medieval period onwards.

Art has the power to transcend time. Ideas and experiences have historically been preserved in art, like traces of nature suspended in amber.

The tragic beauty of the Salton Sea, which was once home to celebrated vacationers from nearby Hollywood, is one more place where the unimaginable has come face-to-face with the inevitable. The toxic waters of California’s largest lake killed every living aquatic species in what used to be a luxury fishing resort. As a multi-medium activist artist, my intention is to bring a stark reflection on what was, what is and what can be.

In referencing Jacque Derrida’s work on pharmakon, a Greek word meaning both “remedy” and “poison,” in the title of the work, the duality of toxic dust lining the salton Sea with the resurgent and creative community of Bombay Beach is most powerfully appreciated when visually experienced. This is the transformative power of art. The ruins of the town exist as a painful reminder of what once was and are now an exuberant promise of the resilience of human beings, the strength of community and the renewing quality of the creative spirit. I’m grateful for the collaboration of talented artists, John Wittington, who graciously and brilliantly designed and built the structure for the apothecary and Jobi Manson, who inspired and coached me, produced the event and documented much of the behind the scenes as we built this project from an nascent idea about bringing awareness to this climate disaster.

The choice of white for the project is a commitment to hope and also, a reference to whitewashing of our shared history. It’s my hope that this vitrine of Memento Mori will serve as a reminder to Carpe Diem, Seize the Day.

This is our one chance.

-Kathy Suder, 2022.