Artists Dean and Laura Larson collaborate in a cautionary series of stories chronicling the consequences of climate change and extinction told through the lens of the Larson’s hybrid animal-human creatures called The Mourners. Inspired by the 14th and 15th century sorrowful alabaster figures of monks and clerics surrounding the tomb of John the Fearless, the second duke of Burgundy, the Larson’s take these symbols of religious devotion and create their own figures grieving the loss of life on earth. Through Dean’s digitally manipulated photographs and Laura’s anthropomorphic figures, The Mourners traverse different historical periods of time in Europe. Their journey starts from the rudimentary beginning of time to the eventual destruction of Earth to examine, lament, and eventually create their own surrealist utopia.

Together, the Larson’s have a combined experience of 90 years making art. Dean and Laura Larson’s collaborative imagery uses the parlance of storytelling, through digital images and sculptures. In 2015, drawing from Dean’s love of architecture and landscape and Laura’s fascination with medieval sculpture, they began combining their photographic images from various locations, especially Europe. Dean and Laura live in Los Angeles and have both shown their work extensively over the course of their marriage, individually and collaboratively, as well as nationally and internationally.