Acting as conceptual portraits, the obituary works draw upon the social role that newspapers retain as gatekeepers for the truth, while testing our beliefs about public figures and their representation. They play off the fact that obituaries for celebrities are often prepared well in advance of their deaths and are sometimes published in error or circulated as hoaxes. Records of the decisions and accomplishments that constitute a life, McEwen’s works propose that the act of living itself is a creative endeavor, until it ends—much like making an artwork. Paying homage to his subjects’ achievements, they also remind us of their conflicts and flaws.