ARIZONA:
This story is about the effects of grief.
Preston Zeller went through a period of grief, like many others do in their lives. It’s an inevitable aspect of the human experience. What is intriguing, however, was the diverse array of ways people handle grief. When his brother Colin passed away due to a drug overdose in 2019, he found solace in his artistic expression.
For a continuous year, he dedicated himself to crafting one abstract painting per day.
Upon completing 365 paintings, he assembled them into a monumental mosaic spanning 10 feet by 20 feet, adorned with 4,500 backlights, which now adorns his living space.
In addition to his artistic endeavor, he documented this journey for a film project, aptly titled ”The Art of Grieving.”
This documentary garnered recognition as the ‘Best Documentary’ at three separate film festivals, premiered on Amazon Prime in July, reached audiences in 25 countries, and is slated for release on Apple TV in 2023. “The Art of Grieving” transcends a personal narrative; it delves into the historical context of human responses to loss throughout civilization and explores the therapeutic potential of art in grief processing.
For more Stories From The 78, follow @tombarnas78 on Instagram and @storiesfromthe78 on TikTok.