Denis Santos
Who would think that actual dead bodies can be a good subject for photography?
Death
Death is such a lonely word. It is a phenomenon that one can actually leave this world physically. But what happens next? What happens after you die?
No one knows.
In a bizarre concept, Polemic photographer, Andrés Serrano created an out of this world photographic series. It showcases dark and powerful photos of bodies lying in a morgue, waiting to get cremated. The photographer dug deep through death and how we are related to it. Together with a forensic pathologist, they captured a timeless beauty on lying lifeless bodies.
“These are not sentimental images, but the loneliness of death manifests itself in each one,” the photographer Serrano has to say.
All throughout his work, Serrano was accused of perversion, heresy, and vulgarity. However, his award-winning series, The Morgue, did not stop him to take a stand on life and death. In this series, he shows how death occurs in the contemporary. We usually see dead bodies on an autopsy table, but he wanted to give out the stories behind it.
As he released this series, he recalls the funeral services a long time ago, where photographs of the dead can serve as a piece of art. If you can see them, they are actually just sleeping, but paler in color, and stagnant in breathing. The reasons for everyone’s death are captioned on his photos.
“The Morgue portrays how death occurs in the contemporary world, centering on the details and textures of the extinguished body,” Serrano explaining his new pieces of art.
In spite the controversies, he was awarded the Visual Arts Award by the Southeastern Center for Contemporary Arts. He went home with 20,000 dollars after bagging the award.
One good thing about his photographer is that he doesn’t care about what people think of his aesthetic. He was never apologetic when showcasing his work.
