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Alex Besen

The aim of my photography was to create artwork that would show the contrast in “chaos and calm through different environments” through the use of collaging and contrasting black and white imagery against color photos. My communication of my ideas are around showing how different energies can be shown through different environments in terms of the landscape representing the culture of the area and the overall vibrance. 

Name: William Foster

Title of work: 1. Fridge in which bodies are stored 2. Preparing for funeral #1 3. Cupboard of mortuary room 4. Preparing for funeral #2 5. Mortuary room 6. Loading coffin into hearse

Medium: Inkjet Print

Over the past few years I have become fascinated with the topic of death and the industry that surrounds it, after researching about the practices surrounding death in other countries and reading a non-fiction book about the life of a mortuary technician within the U.K, I decided that I really disliked how the western world perceives death and the funeral industry so negatively. The people who work in the funeral industry are seen as ‘creepy’ or ‘strange’ when in fact they are everyday hard-working people who put a lot of emotion and care into their work. For my works I visited Gabrielle Walsh Funeral Services and photographed the space and the staff at work. The aim of my final works was to destigmatise the funeral industry and display that those who work in the industry are normal everyday people who work hard to help those during often, very emotional times. People see death as confronting, but if western countries discussed the topic more and made it less taboo, death would be perceived how it should be, just a part of life.