He does not possess wealth; it possesses him.’ Benjamin Franklin. While attempting to hold on to wealth beyond death is futile, the modern emphasis on appearance and material possessions, and the degree to which considerations of mortality are eschewed, lends ‘Memento Mori with Middle Finger Extended’ a timely potency. Directly translated, memento mori means ‘remember death’, an activity believed to result in spiritual improvement. In questioning notions of effort and reward, Stuart’s allegory points obliquely toward a deeper purpose in life.