Question for fine art pros. . .a little off beat

[Joshua L. Slocum]

Subject: Question for fine art pros. .a little off beat

Hello all: This is going to sound a bit strange, and I'll tell you up front that the only connection this has to medium/large format is that I plan to shoot the project with my Crown Graphic. Basically , I'm embarking on a pretty involved body of photographic work related to the rituals and styling of death and d ying. Specifically, my work will focus on the preparation of the deceased for viewing by the family - what it mean s, how it's done, how it's perceived and what the whole process does to our understanding of the body, the soul and all that esoteric stuff)) In order to get myself in the right frame of mind, and for background research , I'd like to observe a mortician making up a person for the viewing. I know it would be a lot to ask to phot ograph this, so I'm not even going to attempt it. I would appreciate, however, any suggestions on how to respectf ully approach someone in the industry. Is there anyone here who has experience getting themselves into t raditionally secretive places in order to observe a process most of us never see? I have no interest in ghoulishly exploiting someone else's grief; I think this kind of first-hand observation will be important for my mindset as I figure out what this project will ultimately look like. The final product is not going to be a series of corp se shots - I'm not envisioning anything that literal. Still, I think I need to immerse myself in this cabalistic ri tual to get the most out of this project. Any advice?

[richard in seattle]

Joshua what is the intended purpose of this body of work? if it is noble and humane people frequently respond kindly.

[Joshua L. Slocum]

Dear Richard: I'm not sure there is a "purpose" to this other than what drives any conceptual artist to do the work he or she does. No, I do not claim that my work is intended to increase human compassion, or understanding, or any of that stuff. I do not feel like I have to justify, in moral terms, the intent of my artistic endeavors. The artist is not beholden to an obligation of soothing society's feelings. . . nor should he have to justify his work on the grounds that it's "uplifting" or any other such hackneyed sentiment. On the other hand, you are entirely right that people respond kindly to others who present themselves as compassionate and interested, rather than opportunistic. As I said before, it is not my intention to parade someone else's grief in front of my lens. . . but that's not the point here. What I'm looking for is first-hand observation of a process that is important to me, philosophically, in the completion of this work. My question is. . how to present myself in such a way as to have the greatest success being allowed in to the "back room." I certainly do not think I'm entitled to this just because I want to, so I'm not going to approach someone with such a cavalier attitude. On the other hand, I'm not offering my work as a "service" or uplifting educational experience, and I won't make that promise. What I'm basically asking for is a favor from whomever I approach, with the assurance that I don't have any nefarious intentions. Again, does anyone have any advice?

[Ellis Vener]

You are going to need the co-operation of the family of the deceased individual as you are definitely going to be invading their privacy. Perhaps you should approach a school for morticians? Or perhaps if you are close to someone who you know would be an enthusiastic post mortem participant, and who can sign a model release. I still wonder how you are goingto get around the potential liability problem of some family memeber who doesn't signthe release and is disturbed by the idea of the project if not the finished work. Your intent might not be ghoulish but I definitely can see how it might strike someone else that way. Good luck...I think.

[Ellis Vener]

You are going to need the co-operation of the family of the deceased individual as you are definitely going to be invading their privacy. Perhaps you should approach a school for morticians? Or perhaps if you are close to someone who you know would be an enthusiastic post mortem participant, and who can sign a model release. I still wonder how you are goingto get around the potential liability problem of some family memeber who doesn't signthe release and is disturbed by the idea of the project if not the finished work. Your intent might not be ghoulish but I definitely can see how it might strike someone else that way. Good luck...I think. By the the way, the process you describe is definitely not related to the "Kabbal".

[Roger Rouch]

My father studied to be a photographer, but the the financial burdens of family lead him to be a mortician. I have a slight amount of experience in the business as well. I would suggest your best approach would be a direct one. Explain what you are doing and why. Possibly present a written abstract. Most morticians perceive themselves as doing a service for their community. If you can market an approach that talks of that, you may have better luck. The funeral process is one that tends to be hidden from the public for no real reason and I would guess the education aspect could further your accaptance as well. You may have better luck in a smaller town where mortuaries may be still family owned. I would not even think of any aspect that might reveal the identity of the deceased or their family. At one time, the only school of mortuarty science was in San Francisco, don't know if it's still the case. (Dad is retired, but would have enjoyed a discussion - he used a Speed Graphic alot.)

[Simon_1319]

You had me (in your first post), then you lost me (in your second):

"I do not feel like I have to justify, in moral terms, the intent of my artistic endeavors. The artist is not beholden to an obligation of soothing society's feelings. . . nor should he have to justify his work on the grounds that it's "uplifting" or any other such hackneyed sentiment. On the other hand, you are entirely right that people respond kindly to others who present themselves as compassionate and interested, rather than opportunistic."

To the degree you present this as an exploration into what it means to be human, to grieve, and to go through rituals, I think you can find a sympathetic mortician. To the extent you present yourself as self-important "conceptual artist" immune to "hackneyed sentiments" who is "beholden to no one" who need not "justify his work," I think you'll get a lot of doors slammed in your face.

In other words, if you genuinely care about people, including morticians, deceased persons, and survivors, that concern will show through and those who can might be willing to help you. But if you regard these people whose help you need not as fellow humans but as merely aesthetic "means" to reach what you present as fairly selfish artistic "ends," you're going to have a much tougher go of it. There are countless very compelling photographic treatments of death, dying, and human suffering--indeed, it's one of the great themes of photography. I can't think of any worthy examples, however, that were created by someone who feigned indifference to the human feelings of both his audience and his subjects. A tip: arrogance is not usually the best way to get a foot in the door.

Good luck.

.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,

[Joshua L. Slocum]

Thank you all for your considered answers. Ellis, I must point two things out to you. Although I usually enjoy your responses, you obviously did not read my post thoroughly: "The final product is not going to be a series of corpse shots." What, then, do I need a model release for? Furthermore, I did not refer to the Kabbal, the Jewish book of mysticism. The admittedly arcane but still quite serviceable word "cabal" (you may find it in the most current Webster's Collegiate if you doubt me) means "intrigue, secrecy," etc. It has nothing whatever to do with Jewish numerology.

[Anthony Howell]

If you are looking for something radical, a knee jerk reaction from potential vi ewers, no doubt you will get it with images from a stiff in a funeral parlor. AND you will probably get an alternative gallery to carry this series of work. A serious gallery will probably not because they have to look at serving clients with something other than a one time shot. If you are looking for something new-never-done, sorry. It has done on ?at least? two occasions before. One NY artist/photographer lost everything in a law suit i n 93. To make a point, I cannot remember his name but I remember the law suit.

[Ellis Vener]

Thank you for the feedback to my post Joshua. Even though you currently have no plans to share your images with the rest of the world, you are still violating someone's privacy. The deceased may not care, but I think it is likely that a family member might feel distraught. This might open you and the co-operating funeral home up to potentially serious legal actions if your actions are discovered. Of course anyone has the liberty to sue anyone for anything, but having permission from some legally responsible individual willoffer you a degree of protection. WARNING: I am not a lawyer, just a fellow photographer. Perhaps you should contact the local ACLU and ask if they know of a local or regional legal aid for the arts organization who can put you in touchwith someone who can better answer the questions I raised.