Dr John Troyer in Jordan Baseman's 'Deadness' Exhibition
Deadness is an exhibition of three parts: multiple 35mm slide projections with sound, the film 'The Last Walk' (2011) and 'February 09 2013', a series of new photographic works.
Deadness is derived from Baseman’s creative non-fiction and interview-based practice, exploring the historical, cultural and sociological relationship between photographic portraiture and embalming, a theme investigated by Dr John Troyer, sociologist and Deputy Director of the Centre for Death and Society at the University of Bath.
Dr Troyer grew up around funeral homes prior to his academic engagement with the subject of embalming, witnessing first-hand from a young age through his father’s work as a Funeral Director. Deadness presents his professional and personal connection to embalming combined with orphaned images collected through online auctions: casual snap shots and more formal portraits of individuals in their coffins from the early Victorian era to the present day.
Review of the exhibition:
The
Guardian 29.05.13
