Thanks for sharing your reading of this picture. You’re right about the similarity in texture of the fur and the pine needles on the ground. I didn’t think of it while taking the shot, but noticed it while processing, though I didn’t do anything particular to emphasize it. I really like your interpretation, which could even be extended in noting that the rabbit, now dead like the fallen needles, is re-integrating with the environment, losing its separate identity. As for other rabbit depictions, I think I was reminded of children’s books like The Runaway Bunny more than cartoons.

Meantimes I want to grapple with the force field possessed by this image. I would imagine that you emphasized the continuum of fur and ground cover. As such, you have created a blending in which the rabbit is running in place within its natural context.
The contrasts are right, the textures are right and the image resonates as a whole.

As an aside I wonder how much my reactions are influenced by cartoon depictions. Not that one sees many dead rabbits in the animated movies I attend - but there’s something about the almost human stride of the back legs contrasted with the tidy forepaws that gets to me.

David,
Yes, Quark is my cat. His sister is Muon.

Rex,
I have a similar, very sad story about nighttime driving on a dirt road when we apparently entered a huge community of jack rabbits. I drove slower, but we were late, exhausted, and anxious to get to camping. Although they could easily go off the road, the rabbits apparently could not stop jumping in from of the car. We hit several (accidentally of course) and had to go back to make sure they were dead.

Interesting story… Not too sure what I would have done in that situation…

Steve,
That is a very good photograph especially since the blades of grass and the fur of the rabbit juxtapose themselves at regular intervals lending the picture a ‘non-dead art’ quality.
I am not too sure if I would react in the same way towards ‘realistically-dead art’.

Sunil