Summative Assessment

Memento Mori is the medieval practise that was designed to act as a ‘reminder of death’, the theory of which was used to reflect upon ones mortality and the temporary state of ones life on earth, as well as to raise awareness of the transience of nature itself. Re-enforcing this innate connection to the earth and the acceptance of our physical limits, including our inevitable death, was portrayed through dramatic and imposing imagery. Skulls were largely featured as a warning to the public, that what we have in this realm is only temporary.

I have taken this practice and explored the theory of Memento Mori in a modern western culture. Aware that our process of mourning, and relationship with death in our day-to-day lives, seems to be kept behind closed doors, to the point where we have lost the communal notion of death as a natural part of existing.

Thomas Macho writes about death, explaining that, ‘It is present because it is missing. It is an invisible picture on the wall, giving meaning to all other pictures.’ This has largely been the core of my investigation, taking Macho’s theory and developing provocative collages, using powerful imagery much like the churches of the medieval period, to establish a new perspective on Memento Mori. Encouraging the public to embrace the inevitability of death, and the innate connection we share with the universe, that we cannot have life without death. And what remains is an endless echo, this presence of absence, as death continues to complete the cycle of life.

DOCUMENTATION

Early Experiments:  https://kairoscinco.wordpress.com/2015/10/29/early-experiments/

Looking at my early investigations into my brief. Reading forensic reports and attempting to successfully decipher the direction and attitude i wanted to take my work in. Although, throughout my working practice, it seemed apparent that i was losing sight of what i wanted to achieve out of this concept.

Start of Collage: https://kairoscinco.wordpress.com/2016/01/15/start-of-collage/

A shift takes place in my work, after reading several essays on death in modern western culture, i found the writing of Thomas Macho to be very influential. It was here that i began to experiment with the concept of a ‘presence of absence’, the physical form being present, but the emotional and mental self being absent. Seeking out a medium that would help visualise this concept, i shifted to collage, as i felt that the immediacy and strong visual nature of collage, proved to be more effective than my previous work.

Collage Animation: https://kairoscinco.wordpress.com/2016/04/25/collage-animation/

While still in the realm of collage, i began to experiment with animation, using stop motion as a way of building an impression of a human being, and then visualising the process of human decomposition, to reveal in essence all life itself. This was however, problematic in terms of execution, as well as presentation. I began to feel that the animation was contradicting the aesthetic and impact of my theme. using a closed off, dark environment was going against, the everyday perception of death i wanted to achieve in my final piece.

Final Collages: https://kairoscinco.wordpress.com/2016/05/02/final-collages/

Having been producing and experimenting with a wide range of images and collage techniques, i feel like i have built up a strong body of work. After deciding to not go ahead with the animation, i was reliant on the power of my collages to successfully communicate my theme to the viewer.

Final Composition: https://kairoscinco.wordpress.com/2016/05/06/final-composition/

In the final Stages, i was focussed on the composition of the piece as a whole. Trying to consider how the collages interact with each other, working together to create a final piece, while simultaneously allowing each image to independently communicate my theme. Being aware of the aesthetic of the overall appearance, i went through a process of elimination. I didn’t want there to be too many collages, incase the viewer lost focus and would glaze over the piece. And so i had to carefully select what i considered to be the most successful collages when attempting to purvey my concept.

CONTEXTUALISATION

Rose Waterson: https://kairoscinco.wordpress.com/2016/02/21/rose-waterson/

Rose Waterson’s work was very effective, and took the concept of a ‘presence of absence’ for an engaging level. I found her projection influential on my collage work, which in time, fed my approach to my animation. Waterson also became a good contact and was happy to discuss work with me, which i was grateful for. She introduced me to Seiko Kato, which then became another good contact.

Seiko Kato: https://kairoscinco.wordpress.com/2016/02/22/seiko-kato-2/

Kato’s work deals with life and death, much as my work has been. But Kato’s work is every intricate, and uses a lot of images from victorian illustration books and medical illustrations. I loved her embellishment of skulls, and she proved to be a great insight into an appropriate and alternative attitude to the same concept as my own. The skull has become iconic with the theme of death, but i was still trying to avoid any morbid cliches.

Peter Callesen: https://kairoscinco.wordpress.com/2016/03/24/peter-callesen/

I found encouragement from Callesen’s work, in the sense that less is more. Again, his images imply a presence of absence, but he has taken a different approach. While not all his pieces are macabre, i focused on his work that dealt with the human form. Using everyday materials, his work is playful and strikes to perfect tone, that i too wanted to achieve in my collages.

Katarzyna Kozyra: https://kairoscinco.wordpress.com/2016/03/06/katarzyna-kozyra/

Kozyra’s projection is very powerful. I felt i needed to look into other artists that had used similar techniques and projections as i had be experimenting with. although i felt Kozyra’s work was too forceful and imposing on the viewer. It’s what made me start to question the true effectiveness of a projection of a final piece in terms of viewer perception.

Joe Webb: https://kairoscinco.wordpress.com/2016/04/13/joe-webb/

Joe Webb has probably been one of the most influential collage artists for me. His themes can be quite politically based, and particularly poignant at times. But he still achieves a sense of light heartedness, and fun about his work. I really appreciate this balance of tone within his composition and it made me focus more on the strength of the images i was using. composition was key and would hold my work together.

Website: http://cargocollective.com/EFIllustration

Personal Statement

Memento Mori is the medieval practise that was designed to act as a ‘reminder of death’, the theory of which was used to reflect upon ones mortality and the temporary state of ones life on earth, as well as to raise awareness of the transience of nature itself. Re-enforcing this innate connection to the earth and the acceptance of our physical limits, including our inevitable death, was portrayed through dramatic and imposing imagery. Skulls were largely featured as a warning to the public, that what we have in this realm is only temporary.

I have taken this practice and explored the theory of Memento Mori in a modern western culture. Aware that our process of mourning, and relationship with death in our day-to-day lives, seems to be kept behind closed doors, to the point where we have lost the communal notion of death as a natural part of existing.

Thomas Macho writes about death, explaining that, ‘It is present because it is missing. It is an invisible picture on the wall, giving meaning to all other pictures.’ This has largely been the core of my investigation, taking Macho’s theory and developing provocative collages, using powerful imagery much like the churches of the medieval period, to establish a new perspective on Memento Mori. Encouraging the public to embrace the inevitability of death, and the innate connection we share with the universe, that we cannot have life without death. And what remains is an endless echo, this presence of absence, as death continues to complete the cycle of life.