adios magazine

Adios

SA_FMP_ADIOS_56PP_272x210_V5.indd 1 24/04/2013 14:37

Order of Service4 Foolish ways of kicking the bucket

6 The fascinatingly eery ‘Apex Predator’ Collection

10 Life before death

15 Are we fascinated with death, or desperate to avoid it?

17 So long, Iron lady

20 A state of decay

24 10 interesting forms of cremation and burial

26 The life of a funeral director

30 The fi nal resting place

36 Why is death such a signifi cant source of creative inspiration?

38 Death around the world

42 Death: A self-portrait

46 Unearthed - The process of decay

52 The last laugh


FOOLISH WAYS OF KICKING THE BUCKETTaken from the prestigious Darwin Awards, here is a selection of the fi nest fools to have graced and departed the planet.

1.

4.

7.

8.

2.

5.

3.

6.


1. THE THIRSTY FOOLOne Arkansas chap who was pretty desperate for some booze decided he would throw a breezeblock through a liquor shop window and make away with some alcohol. He heaved the breezeblock into the glass window, but to his surprise it bounced back, hitting the would-be thief on the head and knocking him out. The window was in fact made of plexiglass and the whole sorry event was captured on CCTV.

2. THE EXPERIMENTAL FOOLDuring a hold-up by aspiring robber James Elliot in London Beach, California, his 38 caliber revolver failed to fi re. Bemused as to why this has happened, he peered down the barrel and tried again. This time it worked.

3. THE DISGUISED FOOLTwo disguised men carried out an armed robbery at a mobile phone shop; one of them, James Thomas, had disguised himself by spray-painting his own face to conceal his identity. The toxic substance didn’t take long to infl ict its damage, he began having trouble breathing and died wheezing just moments after the robbery.

4. THE HUNGRY FOOLAn unidentifi ed 29 year old male choked to death on a sequined pastie (yes, one of those round, battered pies) he had orally removed from an exotic dancer at a Phillipsburg club. The dancer, identifi ed as ‘Ginger’, said “I didn’t think he was going to eat it” adding “he was really drunk.”

5. THE GAMING FOOLA 27 year old French woman was driving along a highway near Marseilles, when her tamagotchi key ring beeped for food. Whilst choosing which snacks to offer her little pal, she drove the car into a tree. Moral of the story – don’t keep demanding inanimate babybel-sized objects.

6. THE FORGETFUL FOOLAn Iraqi terrorist , Khay Rahnajet, made quite a foolish mistake by not paying quite enough postage on a letter bomb. Consequently, it came back with “return to sender” stamped on it. However he had forgotten about his bomb distribution habits, he opened it and was killed instantly.

7. THE UNFORTUNATE FOOLOne ill-fated 41-year-old man from Detroit dropped his car keys as he was walking down the street, they fell down a sewer grate and so he squeezed through it head fi rst in an attempt to retrieve them. However, he got stuck in the 18 inch wide grate and subsequently drowned in a mere two feet of water.

8. THE DRUNKEN FOOLThe police were called to an Austrian apartment when passers by spotted a pair of legs sticking out of a window. It transpired that after a night of heavy drinking, the man decided to slip into his apartment through the kitchen window. As the window would open so far, his head got stuck in the sink. He somehow managed to turn the taps on and consequently, drowned. Police were puzzled as to why he didn’t simply turn the tap off, pull the plug out or indeed, open the front door with the keys in his pocket.

The Darwin Awards established its website in 1993 and commemorates individuals who have removed themselves from the gene pool in extraordinarily idiotic ways. The award’s criterion states that by eliminating themselves, the winners will have “improved our species chance of long-term survival”. Read on and marvel at the vast array of idiotic ways to go.


� e fascinatingly eery ‘Apex Predator’ Collection


Designer duo Fantich & Young have created an eery collection

of clothing known as ‘Apex Predator’. It features a pair of classic Oxford shoes and Jimmy Choo’s with a sinister twist;

they have teeth grafted into the soles. Alongside this there is a Savile Row suit made entirely from black human hair, with glass eyeballs for buttons. The East-London based pair say

it was inspired by the 2008 recession, and the ideas behind evolutionary economics.

The ‘apex predator’ is a term given to those at the top of their game, when they have no-one above them. On the subject of death as inspiration, Fantich and Young feel that,

“Some artists are naturally drawn to death as a subject matter;

they direct these deathly contemplations into creating works that defy the

concept of death by the act of creation”.


Journalist Beatte Lakkota and photographer Walter Schels have

worked together to create an incredibly eye-opening body of work entitled ‘Life before death’. Over a period of months, they met and spent time with 24 terminally ill people; taking one portrait of each person before they died and one afterwards. Lakotta stated that the motivation behind the project was to overcome their own fear of death, the pair have been a couple for 12 years and have an age di� erence of 30 years between them. Lakotta said the idea of one of them dying frightened them, “we wondered how it would feel, what it would look like, how it would be”.

Life before Death


� ey visited each person several times, sometimes every day. Schels commented on how brave certain individuals were, “people who weren’t strong in life, became strong at the end. We found this incredibly encouraging”. It is also interesting to note how each person dealt with certain death in di� erent ways; Schels noted that some were completely unwilling to die, others wanted it over and done with, whilst others simply pushed it away. However, many were surprised that death came so suddenly. Lakotta noted that “some would say, my whole life was work. I wanted to enjoy my retirement, I just wanted to start living now.”

Another idea behind the project was to enable some kind of contact with death and the dead, Lakotta feels it has become a modern taboo and that consequently, we are incredibly removed from it. In the past families would come to terms with the idea of losing a loved one by spending time with the body after they had passed away. “We have lost that contact, with death and dying” stated Lakotta.

It seems that the aim of this project is to aid us in overcoming our fear of death, it isn’t intended to shock or scare. Lakotta noted how through this work she has lost her fear of the dead, and of being dead. “If you look at their last faces, you don’t get the impression it is something awful…it’s quite peaceful, and silent, it’s just your existence has come to an end”. Schels hoped that people would come away with a sense of awareness and a desire to not take anything for granted, “be aware that life has an end. Don’t speculate for anything else but today. It’s worth trying anyway, it’s not so easy”.

“Be aware that life has an end. Don’t speculate for anything else but today. It’s worth trying anyway, it’s not so easy”.


Ir seems to be the case that in Western culture, most of us are simultaneously fascinated by death and yet do almost everything in our power to avoid any kind of thought or discussion relating to it. We are absorbed by countless articles and news stories involving gory topics, and watch murder investigation crime shows until the early hours of the morning (or perhaps that’s just me). Yet we avoid the discussion of it as much as possible, even during the process of mourning we are uncomfortable with facing up to it. There is a striking incongruity in our attitude towards death, should we be looking to change it?

There is an old saying among news reporters, “if it bleeds it leads”, when deciding upon the order of news events. Catherine Rose, a reporter for The Bedford Times and Citizen feels that “people like to read about death and gory topics because there is a voyeuristic aspect to the darker side of human nature, and often an unexpressed ‘there but for the grace of God’ feeling when we read about the death or mutilation/murder of others”. Indeed, perhaps it is the sense that it could very easily have been us in that unfortunate position that draws us in. It might also be a desire to be scared and frightened, Rose agrees, saying that “murder and death are dramatic topics and as ancient as the human race itself. Much of Shakespeare is based on them”. Certainly, serial killers attract a great deal of interest and fascination as a result of the shocking nature of their crimes. Not only is this portrayed in the likes of fi ction such as fi lms, TV shows and books but also in real life scenarios. From Fred and Rose West to Jack the Ripper, there are many documentaries that attempt to unravel the story of a serial killer; whilst websites and even fan forums exist that attract those with a deeper interest. It could be said that part of the fascination lies in their ability to do something we could never imagine doing ourselves. Yet Rose comments that deep down, “we all have some sort of killing instinct” and we are “endlessly interested in those who are unable to suppress it”.

In terms of our own mortality, perhaps it is the element of the great unknown that fascinates, yet also terrifi es us. Whilst we can speculate and hold certain religious beliefs as to what lies beyond, none of us can ever truly know. It is a diffi cult concept to comprehend and one that might baffl e, scare and interest us. But do we ever actually voice these speculations? Although we might think about it from time to time, to engage in discussion seems somehow off limits. So why is it that we tend to avoid the subject? Phillipe Aries (author of ‘The hour of our death’) stated when discussing death in more recent times, that “we ignore the existence of a scandal we have been unable to prevent; we act as if it did not exist, and thus mercilessly force the bereaved to say nothing. A heavy silence has fallen over death”. Bereavement counsellor Caroline Bell feels it is largely down to our English society, stating that we “don’t really know how to deal with it or what to say,

it’s partly embarrassment” but a large part of it is also a reluctance to “engage with the idea”. It is perhaps easier to push away rather than consider. English anthropologist and author Geoffrey Gorer wrote that “today it would seem to be believed, quite sincerely, that sensible, rational men and women can keep their mourning under complete control by strength of will and character.” He went on to describe a couple of occasions when he refused invitations to cocktail parties on account of the fact he was in mourning, and was met with shocked embarrassment. He stated “they clearly no longer had any guidance from ritual as to the way to treat a self-confessed mourner; and I suspect they were frightened lest I give way to my grief, and involve them in a distasteful upsurge of emotion.” Perhaps in our modern day society we have attached a kind of terror to death and fail to see it as a natural part of life anymore. Phillipe Aries noted that “the death of the patient in the hospital, covered with tubes, is becoming a popular image, more terrifying than the transi or skeleton”.

The question seems to be, if we discussed it more openly and frequently, and mourned for our loved ones more publicly and honestly, would we be better off? In terms of the discussion of death, bereavement counsellor Caroline Bell feels that as we get older, we generally become more willing to discuss it. She commented that as she herself aged, she found she had “almost a desire to talk about it” and that if we did, “it would give us more value, more meaning in our lives”. Perhaps by discussing the brevity of life more frequently, we would appreciate what we have and feel an urge to make the most of our lives whilst we are here. It might also be a healthier way of dealing with loss, Bell notes that the Middle and Far East tend to have a better way of coping with it; “they wail and weep, in the West we are just very repressed. When people die and at funerals, we are always fi ghting not to cry, when in fact the healthiest thing we can do is to cry”. Perhaps it is time for Britain to take a leaf out of a book from a distant land, and embrace an inevitable part of existence.

Are we fascinated with death? Or desperate to avoid it?...

“the death of the patient in the hospital, covered with tubes, is becoming a popular image, more terrifying than the transi or skeleton”


Thatcher. Love her or hate her, she was one hell of a woman. Despite the huge debate and protestations (predominantly carried out by lads in their early 20’s who weren’t even born when Thatcher left offi ce), the day of the funeral remained peaceful. Incredibly, not one person was arrested. It’s quite heartwarming really, that even those deeply opposed to her policies respected the ceremony to some degree. At one stage an object was thrown out before the gun carriage procession and after a moment of brief panic, it transpired that it was a mere fl ower.

The guest-list was an array of Prime Ministers (both current and ex), cabinet ministers as well as 30 members of Thatcher’s cabinet. Representatives from 170 countries were present, as well as Prince Phillip and the Queen herself. The last time there was a similar turn-out was for beloved Winston Churchill’s funeral. But there was also an odd smattering of celebs; Dame Shirley Bassey, Andrew Lloyd Webber and Jeremy Clarkson to name just a few. The ceremony was (perhaps surprisingly) touching, with readings of T. S. Eliot and Wordsworth as well as the sweet sounds of Elgar and the choirboys. At one point it all got a bit much for MP George Osbourne who shed a visible tear, doesn’t he know this is England?

No tears allowed. The Bishop spoke kindly of Thatcher, recalling moments in which she showed a little of her softer side. He suggested that at times it was hard for her family to draw a distinction between Margaret Thatcher the mother and Margaret Thatcher the politician. He also brought a little light humour to the occasion, recalling an event in the City when he had been seated next to Thatcher. They were mid-discussion when she suddenly announced, “don’t touch the duck pate Bishop, it’s very fattening”.

If you were wondering where the £10 million pounds went, it would seem that some percentage of it went on sand. The roads were covered in the stuff to prevent the carriage and horses from slipping. It would seem that a fair amount was also spent on ensuring everyone got a good view of the proceedings, as there were a total of 10 video screens set up in St Paul’s Cathedral alone.

Opinion has been strongly divided into two camps - those that loved her and those that despised her. But it is also interesting to note those that lie in-between; the indifferent ones, the ones that don’t quite know who she is and the ones that are just plain ignorant. Many people watching the procession weren’t there on purpose as much as they just happened to be in the vicinity. On the whole, a quick picture on the iPhone seemed to be enough to satisfy many spectators.

So long, Iron Lady


A State of DecayThe CrysTal PalaCe ruins

Photography by Greg Woodward


a sTaTe OF DeCay


biODeGraDable urnsCreated by Spanish designers Martin Azua & Gerard Molin, biodegradeable urns are made from coconut shells, compacted peat and cellulose. The

remains in the urn fertilize the seeds, and eventually grow into a tree. Which type of tree you grow into is entirely up to you. There’s something very charming

and ‘circle of life’ about it.

sPaCe burialLikely to appeal to fans of Star Trek, space

burial entails a small capsule containing cremated remains being launched into space. A variety of options are available,

whether you’d like to be sent to the moon (and hey, who wouldn’t?), into space and returned to earth, or into deep space; it

can all be made possible. The creator Stark Trek himself, Gene Roddenburg opted for

this method of cremation.

PersOnal urnsCremation solutions offer a slightly eerier

alternative, whereby they re-create a life-sized face of a loved one which also

doubles up as an urn. By using photographs and facial recognition software, they can

accurately recreate a 3D model. However if you’d rather, you can choose a famous

face to contain the ashes – bizarrely, Barack Obama seems to be a popular option.

hOurGlass urnsThis is a slightly more practical option, whereby the cremated remains replace the sand of an hourglass. An interesting way of putting yourself to good use, yet also quite a morbid reminder of time.

FireWOrKsGo out with a bang with UK company ‘Heavens Above Fireworks’ who offer a celebratory twist on proceedings

by incorporating cremated ashes into fi reworks. They believe that funerals

should be a celebration of life.

arT in ashesFor the more creative among us (or no longer among us), a work of art can be

created that incorporates cremated ashes. By mixing the ashes with the paint, an

abstract canvas can be produced that in some way refl ects the person. Some kind

of twisted Dorian Gray-esque painting springs to mind, but this probably

wouldn’t be half as sinister.

COral reeFA fi tting option for those who had a strong affi liation with the

sea/water, the cremation remains are combined with a concrete mix that closely resembles real coral. At once tackling the issue of deteriorating coral reef and

breathing new life into the marine world. Everyone’s a winner.

vinyl reCOrDsFor lovers of music, there can surely

be no better option? Cremated ashes are blended into a vinyl record of your

choosing. Whether it be framed or played, this brings a whole new meaning to any

claims of a certain track being “your song”.

JeWelleryA slightly more sentimental option, a lock of hair or a small amount of

cremated remains can be incorporated into bespoke items of jewellery such as

pendants, lockets or rings.

PenCilsPencils. Versatile, always in demand and

useful. Sounds like a pretty good after life if you ask me. The cremated remains are blended with the lead of the pencil, so as long as you are used sparingly and not sharpened too frequently, you’ll serve a very functional purpose for many a year.

INTERESTING FORMS OF CREMATION & BURIAL...10


When did you become involved in funeral work?

I came on the scene in about 1971, I was at the

end of a chapter in my life. I had been left with

3 quite young children, I’d wanted children for

years and then I had 3 babies in 3 years and

one month. From the sublime to the ridiculous!

You’ll fi nd in life that very often when things are

good, it’s human nature to rock the boat and for

some people to want more or different. What

happened in that period of my life was that

the grass was greener in the next fi eld for my

children’s father. So I was left with 3 little ones

and it was very tough in those days. Then I got

to know Bill who is my husband now, William

Abbott, and it began from there.

What was your attitude towards death when

you fi rst started?

I was frightened. Frightened of what? And that’s

a big word, ‘what’, what was I frightened of?

And then I calmed down and thought what are

you frightened of? Because if they can’t hurt

you in life they certainly wouldn’t and couldn’t

hurt you in death. So yes, I was frightened but I

soon realised that was a silly attitude and I’d got

to grow in strength, character and personality if

I was going to do a good job for other people.

And it’s an indulgence to just go ‘oh, I can’t’. I think

having three young children and needs-must is

what drove me in the very beginning; I needed to

earn a keep for them.

how has your attitude towards death changed

throughout such a long career?

It has changed my outlook completely in that I

don’t take anything for granted anymore. Unlike

many people, I don’t ever say, I’m planning to do

something. You see, we’re only doing something if

nothing untoward happens. If you think about it,

the only sure thing in your life is that you’re going

to die one day. You think you’re going to drive

home, and you probably will drive home, but you

know that you are going to die one day. Also,

people have changed, and their expectations of a

funeral have changed. Funerals used to be much

easier to arrange, the red tape is a lot worse now.

Years ago it was a hearse, one limousine, straight

to the crematorium, the Lord is my Shepherd and

out you come. Today, (and it’s not a complaint –

it’s just the way the world has gone), funerals can

be productions. And that’s good, because I believe

funerals are for the living.

Why do you think it is that we tend to avoid the

discussion of death?

Well, this is my experience. People do not avoid

the discussion of death like they used to. In the

1970’s I started talking to groups of people about

it, and back then it was very unusual, particularly

to have a woman speaking. I’ve been to dozens

and dozens of engagements since to speak about

death and what happens.

What type of engagements do you speak at?

Rotary clubs, women’s groups, I’ve been on radio

and television; I was on Private Eye Investigates.

I think it’s important to talk about death and the

funeral whilst the person is still well, because it’s

a bit diffi cult if your mother is poorly and old for

you to suddenly say oh by the way mum, do you

want burial or cremation? You can’t do that.

Do you think we would fi nd death easier to deal

with if we thought about it in everyday life and

discussed it more frequently?

Yes. I think when one is mature one should make

a will. People don’t because they can almost feel

that they’re giving permission for their death, but

they’re not. You’d be surprised how many people

haven’t made wills.

If your mind’s eye paints a picture of a Funeral Director as hardened and emotionless, then Patricia Abbott will erase that icy image in a heartbeat. In conversation, her compassion and empathy for other people is clear; she cares and it’s as simple as that. Patricia has been a

Funeral Director for over forty years. During her time at the company she has been hailed as the ‘Funeral Planner of the Year’ by the largest funeral-planning network in the country. I sat down with her at the business premises in Rushden, Northants, to discuss all things mortality.


“I calmed down and thought what are you frightened of? Because if they can’t

hurt you in life they certainly wouldn’t and couldn’t hurt you in death.”


When I go to leave, Patricia offers to show me the cooling units we previously discussed. I was a little hesitant, but curiosity got the better of me and so she led me over to the building in question. It was a small room, with four silver steel doors in the wall. A wasted youth spent watching all manner of crime shows means I know what lies behind these square doors. She tentatively opens one, whilst I stand a metre behind, anxious as to whether my memory will allow me to forget the image I’m about to see. “I don’t want to scare you, but this is fi ne. See here, this is where we keep the bodies”. I peer in, there are two shelves, a coffi n on each. In the top lies an elderly woman, and the bottom, an elderly man. Both are pale, with an almost wax like complexion. But to my surprise, it’s not scary - merely peaceful.

Do you think the way that we mourn a loved

one in the uK is healthy and does it help us

come to terms with it?

What I think is very important, are tears. Tears

are natural and normal and a part of the healing

process. I’m not saying tears will heal you, healing

takes place very slowly. I think it is good to

acknowledge feelings and show them. You take

our dear queen, you don’t see her shed a tear in

public and she’s had so much heartache. So we

tend to be stiff upper lip. But it’s odd because our

culture is altering, whatever we say, it is altering;

we’ve got the infl ux of different cultures around

us and we are changing.

have you found it to be quite a depressing

job at times?

If I’ve got to choose one word to sum up my

years it would be rewarding. Because you’re

looking after people and that’s what we’re here

for, to care about one another. We’re privileged.

Don’t run away with the idea that all funerals are

dreadfully sad, a lot of them aren’t. People are

generally living to be older and some people are

worn out and really come to the end of their

tether and are praying to die. You don’t often

hear about a good death, you hear about the

terrible ones but there are quite a lot of people

that do just close their eyes and go to sleep, you

just don’t hear much about it.

Could you talk me through the process from

when the person dies up until the funeral?

We operate a 24 hours service so that means

7 days a week, even Christmas day. If someone

dies at home then once the family have notifi ed

the on-call doctor and when the death has been

certifi ed we will go and pick the deceased up

and bring them here to our chapel of rest. We’re

a small family business and that is done by one

of my sons and my son-in-law most of the time.

A lot of people die in hospitals or in care homes,

and so we go and collect those during the day.

So then when they are brought in we have to

prepare them, put the dentures back in, that

sort of thing. We shave them, close their eyes,

whatever the client has told us they want done

to make them look presentable. Some families

want the person dressed in their own clothes, if

they do, then we do that. If not, they have a robe

that matches the interior of the coffi n. That is also

done by my son, or my son-in-law. If it’s a lady

we can do their make-up and do their hair and

if I know the person and I know roughly what

they would normally look like then that helps.

My daughter and daughter-in-law will do that,

and sometimes the person’s relatives want to do

it - not often. They often think they want to but

when it comes to it, they don’t. If we’re going to

keep someone for a period of time, over two

weeks then we would suggest to the family that it

would be good to have the deceased embalmed,

which is really preservation. Then they are put

into a cool unit, where they are kept until the

family has come to view them and then they are

put into the chapel of rest to be visited. And then

back to the cool unit until the day of the funeral.

Do you feel like you’ve become hardened

to it all over the years?

I wouldn’t say hardened to it at all, in no way,

because if you’ve got a natural empathy you

can’t be hardened to it. You get used to dealing

with it, but my heart still goes out to people

that are bereaved. Especially for children,

when a parent has died.

have you had any unusual requests or any

unique funerals?

Oh always, all the time. It’s diffi cult because what

I have learnt to do is never say anything that

could hurt the family in anyway, but we do have

to laugh sometimes and we cry sometimes. But

whatever gives comfort to the family is ok by us.

What do you think you’d be doing if you hadn’t

done funeral work?

Well I’d always done offi ce work, from school

I went into an offi ce, which was very good

grounding because there’s an awful lot of paper

work. If I could go back it wouldn’t be too far

from what I have been doing really, I would have

loved to have been a nurse. Because I like looking

after people and when someone says “can Pat

come in and look after this one”, I like it. Because

you know that you’re doing something right if

they’ve got confi dence in you. The reward is in

the doing.


abanDOneD Cars in The arDennes, leFT by u.s serviCeman aFTer WWii.

Photographed by Theo Van Vliet.

THE FINAL RESTING PLACE


DisuseD reD PhOne bOX in CarlTOn miniOTT, enGlanD.

Photographed by Ian Hufton.

DisCarDeD Tyres in WesTley, CaliFOrnia.

Photographed by Edward Burtynsky


DisCarDeD yellOW TaXis in ChOnGQuinG, China.

Photographed by Spiegel.


reTireD us navy Planes FrOm 60s/70s, sT. auGusTine, FlOriDa.

Photographed by Walter Arnold.


The DereliCT hOme OF POeT JOhn milTOn, a manOr hOuse in berKshire.

Photographed by Josephine Pugh.


From art to music and comedy to fashion, death has always been and remains to be a prevalent theme. A recent art exhibition at � e Wellcome Collection in London, (‘Death: A Self Portrait’) showcased a collection of over 300 works on the subject, demonstrating just how much artwork there is out there relating to the topic. But why? Is this source of creativity in some way born from our desire to come to terms with it? � is certainly seems to be the case for taxidermist Lauren Kane who admits to being “extremely scared of sickness and death...working with dead animals as an art medium is a sort of therapy”. Fashion design student Emily Street agrees, acknowledging that death as inspiration in the world of design might be “a way of dealing with it”. Although she also notes that some people who draw from death for inspiration “have never had the experience of losing someone close to them”. On this basis, perhaps design can serve as an outlet for those intrigued and trying to get their head around a concept that is quite di� cult for us to comprehend.

However, it could be said that using death as a source of inspiration is a way of challenging it. Fashion design duo Fantich and Young feel that by directing “deathly contemplations” into creative work, they can “defy the concept of death by the act of creation”. Taxidermist Lauren Kane also feels that through her work, the animals “come to life again, they are loved”. So perhaps it is this de� ance of the end and the celebration of life that inspires these creative souls, despite the (often morbid looking) outcome. Fantich and Young also describe death as “universal in its reach”, and this also must play a part. Whoever we are, wherever we are, we all share one thing in common; the certainty we will some day die (as morbid as it might sound). It is something we can all relate to, and so the product of works inspired by death should mean something to all of us. However we feel about it, the fact that it is inevitable and inescapable is something every one of us can appreciate.

� e world of music and black comedy also draw upon dark themes, but is this with di� erent reasoning? It seems that in many cases dark comedy serves as a platform for getting across a certain message or opinion on the subject. A good example of this is comedian Bill Hicks, infamous for his dark humour. His stand-up routines became less about making the audience laugh, and more about getting a point across.

One of his better-known lines was one that insulted the world of media: “by the way, if anyone here is in advertising or marketing, kill yourself. Seriously, there’s no joke coming, you are Satan’s spawn, � lling the world with bile and garbage. Kill yourself now; it’s the only way to save your souls. Now, on with the show... ”.

In more recent times, Frankie Boyle seems to have occupied a place in dark comedy. His latest performance at the Comic Relief ‘Give It Up’ gig was cut out, due to the remarks he made about the queen’s recent bout of illness and how he “wished she had died”. � e motivation here doesn’t seem as well meaning as in art or fashion, it’s questionable as to whether it is even intended to be funny. In which case, is it just in place to shock? But maybe shock is what we need? Maybe it is not his sentiment about the queen that truly shocks us, but the idea of discussing death in such frank terms? In western culture we are used to brushing it under the carpet, pretending it won’t/hasn’thappened - which isn’t the healthiest approach. Perhaps talking about it in comedic terms is an easier way of broaching the subject. Script writer Martin McDonagh, who wrote and directed the infamously dark ‘In Bruges’, is known for his unique and witty style of dark comedy. With regard to the way he writes his scripts, he notes that he tends to “have a dark sad thing, and then the next line as a funny one-liner, and

Why is death such a significant source of creative inspiration?


Why is death such a significant source of creative inspiration?

then the next another dark, sad thing... it always has the comedy to keep despair at the door”. By combining the two, comedy and death, it makes death a more approachable and bearable subject.

In the realms of music there are, of course, songs that mourn the loss of a loved one. From � e Rolling Stones to Amy Winehouse, you don’t need to look too far to � nd them. But here too they can serve as a platform for airing views and opinions. Bob Dylan’s “� e lonesome death of Hattie Carroll” proclaimed the injustice of her death. Whilst � e Cure’s “Killing Another” questions what it is to have the ability to kill another person. On the other hand, modern day starlet Florence Welch of ‘Florence and the Machine’ appears to draw upon her fascination with death. When she was younger she admits she “read a lot of ghost stories, a lot of Victorian horror. I got really obsessed with Jack the Ripper... I used to have a weird thing about cutting out morbid headlines from newspapers and collecting them. I was also fascinated with drowning, which is strange”.

It would seem that death is a source of creative inspiration for a wide variety of reasons; it allows us to attempt to come to terms with it, to challenge it, to vent our opinions of it and to air our fascination with it. Work relating to death will always be relevant and relatable for everyone; there will never be a time when we suddenly cease to wonder what awaits us. � ere’s something ever-lasting and comforting in that.

Musician Florence Welch

Bill Hicks

‘Mouse and yarn’ by taxidermist Lauren Kane


Tibetan sky burialBuddhists believe that once we have died the body is just an empty shell, and worthless once our spirit has departed. Consequently they opt for a rather brutal form of burial. The deceased are dissected by a ‘rogyapa’ (body breaker) and left on the top of a mountain, usually near a monastery, and left for the vultures. However in Tibet vultures aren’t considered as vile as those Jungle Book critters, they are actually thought of as a type of angel and known as ‘Dakinis’ which translates as ‘sky dancers’. The process is accompanied by certain chants and rituals. By leaving the body for the vultures to consume, the Tibetans believe the soul will have an easier ascent to heaven. The Chinese actually outlawed the practice when it initially took control of the country back in the 1950’s. But it is a ritual that makes sense, when the ground is too solid for burial and there is not enough fuel for cremation.

Hanging coffinsThis ancient ritual was practiced among the Bo people and Guyue people in China and the Philippines. Stakes were driven into the side of cliff walls, and wooden planks were lowered down onto them where the deceased would lie. It was believed that the higher the coffi n was situated, the greater the honour. However it is still a mystery as to how these people managed to carry out this process, as yet, no-one really knows...

Tree burialThere are a few variations when it comes to tree burials. The Blackfeet Indians of Montana used to sew their deceased into blankets and tie them high in the branches, to keep them away from predators. In the Philippines, there is a type of ritual that involves entombing the body in the tree trunk itself. The person chooses the tree, and sets up home in a make shift hut by the tree until their time comes. The Tibetans however, encase the person in a small coffi n and tie them into the brances of a tree. There are often several in one tree.

A front porch burialIn the Philippines, the Tinguian and the Benguet people sit their deceased in chairs outside their front door, dressed in their fi nest attire. In the case of the Tinguian people, they are often left there for over a week as family members and friends come to bid them farewell. They might also be offered gifts, such as smoking tobacco. The Benguet people blindfold their loved one, then the night before the burial gather round and sing ‘bangil’, a song that tells the story of both the good and bad in the deceased’s life. There are other groups in the Phillipines such as the Itnegs of Apra and the Apayaos who choose to bury their loved ones beneath their own houses.

Death around


PLEASE TURN OVER...

Death around the world...CannibalismKnown as endocannibalism, this ritual involves the members of the group eating their loved ones. A tribe in northern India, the Aghoris, eats the fl esh of the deceased believing it will bring them supernatural powers. There are also tribes in Brazil that go one step further and cremate the body, then mix the ashes into a thick soup, which they will all consume. It all sounds a little gruesome to our western ways of thinking, but the thinking behind it seems to be well meaning. Through this process, they feel they are honouring the deceased and in some way allowing them to live on.

LamasThe Mongolians believe in the return of the soul and place very high status on Lamas in their rituals. During the ceremony no one but a Lama is allowed to touch the corpse, a white veil is placed over the face of the deceased and men stand to the right whilst women are placed to the left. The number of Lama’s present is relative to the person’s social standing in the community, and the Lama determines the direction the group will travel, even the day/time the ceremony might happen. The body is then taken away from the village and left in the middle of a circle of stones, the village dogs are then let loose to consume the remains.

SkullThe people of the island Kiribati leave their loved ones laid outside their house for a minimum of 3 days and a maximum of 12, depending on their status within the community. Friends and relatives use a local plant to make a pudding, which is produced as an offering. The body is buried and several months later dug up, and the skull removed. It is then oiled, polished and offered tobacco and food. The skull is kept on a shelf, the islanders believe that the native god Nakaa welcomes the dead relative’s spirit into the home.

Cave burialIn some Hawaiian Islands, particularly along the coast of Maui, the rituals used to take place in a cave. The body is placed in a fetal position with hands and feet tied, then covered with a tapa cloth made from the bark of a mulberry bush. The organs might be removed, and the cavity fi lled with salt. Many of these caves still contain the skeletons from these rituals.


The Death of commitment?


Gone are the days when we stick with the decisions we make early on in life. We are no longer obliged to stay in relationships, jobs or locations. But have we lost the ability to commit? Are we able to stick with a plan or has technology and fast-paced living left us restless? And if so, is it necessarily a bad thing…It’s no secret that people are getting married later on life. � e pressure to settle down with 2.4 kids has been alleviated and consequently committed relationships aren’t as frequent as they once were. Less and less people are tying the knot at all, and the number of couples living together outside of marriage is on the increase. Perhaps we are witnessing the beginning of the death of marriage, or certainly it’s slow decline. But what is to blame for our lack of commitment? If we are to attribute it to our fast-paced lifestyle, with too many options and the constant ability to change, then perhaps we should look to technology. A growing number of wi-� hotspots mean we almost always have a world of knowledge, people and an insurmountable number of options at our � ngertips. Is the instant grati� cation that this brings making us restless? Perhaps we are becoming more connected and less committed than ever.

� e world of work seems to feel this lack of commitment just as forcibly; today’s retiree’s have changed jobs an average of 11 times. � is might be because we are ready for change more frequently, as the tasks we are required to perform quickly become mundane. According to infographic ‘How Social Media Is Ruining Our Lives’ the average attention span has dropped from 12 minutes to 5 minutes and below. It seems that the e� ect of such a fast-paced life is a loss of patience and lack of deep thinking.

However, when the economic dip shows no signs of an immediate recovery, it’s arguable that constant job shifting is a smart option. By continually swapping and changing you are e� ectively a free agent, actively managing your own career rather than relying on one company that could potentially hand you a redundancy letter at any given moment. John Wilson, an executive recruiter with Korn/Ferry International actually feels that it is discouraging to see a potential employee that has stayed in the same job for a long time. He said “It’s changed to the point where recruiters now really scrutinise the background and wisdom of a person who’s done that. � ese days, you have to wonder as a recruiter: ‘Why was that person so happy there for so long?”.

Another area in which commitment is often lacking is our choice of location. People move around from home to home more freely than ever before, unrestricted by di� culties in keeping in touch with loved ones. When it is so easy to stay in touch with people and to get around, moving from place to place is a much less daunting prospect than it once was. Not only this but the regional and cultural di� erences are less noticeable. As migration becomes more frequent and other ways of life become more familiar, we no longer feel the same degree of culture shock.

We are lucky enough to have great � exibility in most areas of our lives, and this ability to chop and change is a virtue. What the future holds, who knows? Perhaps marriage will become something for the minority, migration will become second nature and our careers will vary just as frequently. It is debatable as to whether having so many options and alternatives is always a good thing. But I am certain that we are often more enriched individuals as a result of it. � rough experiencing more of the world and consequently learning and understanding more of it, hopefully we can decide what it is we really do want to commit to.


This winter The Wellcome Collection (based in Euston, London) showcased a spectacular array of over 300 works collected by Richard Harris, a former antique print dealer based in Chicago. The collection focuses on the iconography of death and our “complex and contradictory attitudes towards it”. It contains a vast and diverse amount of work, from historical artefacts to scientifi c specimens and sculpture to renaissance paintings.

The exhibition is split into fi ve sections, the fi rst ‘Contemplating Death’, explores how we actively contemplate mortality and invites us to refl ect on the brevity of existence. The second room is entitled ‘The Dance of Death’ and focuses on the certainty that someday we all will die, regardless of how rich or poor we may be in life. Through various prints and early sketches, people from all walks of life are portrayed in order to demonstrate how “popes and paupers, kings and peasants, women and men, old

This winter The Wellcome Collection (based in Euston, London) showcased a spectacular array of over 300 works collected by Richard Harris, a former antique print dealer based in Chicago. The collection focuses on the iconography of death and our “complex and contradictory attitudes towards it”. It contains a vast and diverse amount of work, from historical artefacts to scitentific specimens and sculpture to renaissance paintings.


Death: A Self Portrait

Calavera, Mondongo Collective (Argentina), plasticine on board, 2011. Copyright Mondongo Collective

From the series The Day, the Night and the Dead, Dana Salvo (b. 1952, USA), chromogenic print, 1990–2004. Copyright Dana Salvo, courtesy Clark Gallery

and young, the good and wicked are all equal in the eyes of death”. Room three exposes us to a more brutal side of death, “Violent death” looks at the harsh conditions of war on human kind. It questions whether such violence can be considered aesthetically pleasing and how we should respond to it. The fourth room, “Eros and Thanatos”, is a reference to what Sigmund Freud identifi ed as the eternal confl ict at the centre of human civilization; that of life (Eros) and destruction (Thanatos). Here we see a range of works that portray this juxtaposition, including photography and postcards.

The fi nal room, “Commemoration”, focuses on different ways of dealing with death, burial and mourning. Whilst these processes have changed over time, they also differ vastly from culture to culture. This room exhibits an array of objects that demonstrate this, from Tibetan ceremonial cups to pre-Columbian Aztec vessels. It also looks at the

more light-hearted celebrations of death, such as Halloween and the Day of the Dead. The overall feel of the room seems to be one of a desire to connect with the deceased, as well as the sense that we all await the same fate.

Richard Harris states that his collection started with his interest in human anatomy, in both prints and books. But due to a lack of material, he narrowed it down to skulls and skeletons. He commented that he feels very little of it is morbid and depressing, with parts of it being quite comical and light-hearted. He found that as he re-visited his exhibition, he overheard people having conversations about death, dying and family/friends who have died or are dying. He hoped that the collection would have that very effect, and act as a gateway for people having such a conversation on a broader scale.


In The Eyes Of Others. Jodie carey, 2009


When Shall We Meet Again?, gelatin silver print, c.1900. Wellcome Images, courtesy The Richard Harris Collection

Death: A Self Portrait


UN-EARTHEDHaving buried a lace slip, an old vinyl record, a map of Vienna and a Vogue pattern, I returned three weeks later to dig them up and photograph the process of decay...

Photographed by Sally Abbotts


“Dying is a very dull, dreary affair, and my advice to you is to have nothing to do with it.”

Somerset Maugham

“I want to go to heaven. But if Jeffrey Archer is there I want to go to Lewisham.”

Spike Milligan

“While other people’s deaths are deeply sad, one’s own is surely a bit of a joke.”

James Cameron

“I thought about killing myself but then I went on holiday to Belgium instead”

Stephen Fry

“Death has something to be said for it: There’s no need to get out of bed for it.”

Kinglsey Amis

“I am ready to meet my Maker. Whether my Maker is prepared for the great ordeal of meeting me is another matter.”

Winston Churchill

“My grandmother made dying her life’s work.”

Hugh Leonard

“There is nothing quite so good as a burial at sea. It’s simple, tidy, and not very incriminating.”

Alfred Hitchcock

“May my last breath be drawn from a pipe and exhaled in a pun.”

Charles Lamb

“Too late for fruit; too soon for fl owers.”

Walter De La Mare’s last words

“There were no last words. His wife was with him to the end.“

Les Dawson

“Max Miller’s last words: ‘Oh Mum,’ to his wife. There is so much to dread.”

John Osborne

“They’re like poems, suicide notes: nearly everyone tried their hand at them some time, with or without talent.”

Martin Amis

“There are many who dare not kill themselves for fear of what the neighbours will say.”

Cyril Connolly

“We have no reliable guarantee that the afterlife will be any less exasperating than this one, have we?”

Noel Coward

“Ah, well, there is just this world and then the next, and then all our troubles will be over with.”

Margot Asquith

THE LAST LAUGHa seleCTiOn OF sOme OF The mOre WiTTy anD amusinG ObservaTiOns On DeaTh.

“I thought about killing myself but then I went on holiday to Belgium instead”


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