Tuesday, April 08, 2008
life before death
Remember the "dialogue" we had about pictures of the dying/dead? Abbie recently sent me a link to a series of portraits that dives head into this issue. These are portraits made by German photographer Walter Schels of people who knew they were dying (they were all in hospice) and who had agreed to be photographed as they were critically ill and after they had passed on. They were also interviewed by Schel's partner. It's kind of tough to view, so beware. Personally, I think it 's an incredibly powerful, dignified, intriguing and courageous body of work. It's clear that the subjects were pretty amazing themselves.
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2 comments:
Death. A difficult subject. A difficult discussion.
The photographs are beautiful.
When my aunt died, my mother-in-law said, "I have never seen such a beautiful corpse." I was startled by that language almost more than I was startled by the sight of my aunt lying there, dead.
We do not personally deal with our own dead anymore, as a society. I think as we grow more removed from our dead, we grow more removed from the subject of death. It becomes taboo.
--KB
The text for one entry is, "At the moment of her death she was entirely alone — her husband was in the kitchen making a cup of coffee. He told me later that he was disappointed that he couldn’t be with her, holding her hand, but he knew this is what she had always said, that dying alone would be easier for her."
I can't tell you how many people I know who describe just this--having waited vigilantly to be with the dying person as death comes, but leaving only for that cup of coffee. And in that moment, death. Even for those in comas or who had otherwise lost consciousness, I think there is a knowing and a preference in going while alone.
--two entries for me. Thank you for your patience. --KB
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