Class

Article

College

Caine College of the Arts

Department

Art and Design Department

Faculty Mentor

Jared Ragland

Presentation Type

Poster Presentation

Abstract

The body is only a vessel treats funeral homes less as venues for the exhibition of embalmed bodies and more like vessels constructed to fulfill whatever needs of those left behind, documenting how funeral practices aren’t so much a dance with death but a shuffle around it. By exploring the mundanity of death and the implied tension between the present life and the afterlife, the project visualizes quiet emblems of loss through texture, light, and space. Doors and windows serve as allegories to “the other side,” as impressions of light and shadow demonstrate the delicate balance between life and death. Together the pictures ultimately illustrate how these liminal spaces serve as empty containers for a family’s bereavement and mourning, all while acknowledging the ambiguities and ironies in funerary practices.

Location

Logan, UT

Start Date

4-11-2023 10:30 AM

End Date

4-11-2023 11:30 AM

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Apr 11th, 10:30 AM Apr 11th, 11:30 AM

The Body is Only a Vessel

Logan, UT

The body is only a vessel treats funeral homes less as venues for the exhibition of embalmed bodies and more like vessels constructed to fulfill whatever needs of those left behind, documenting how funeral practices aren’t so much a dance with death but a shuffle around it. By exploring the mundanity of death and the implied tension between the present life and the afterlife, the project visualizes quiet emblems of loss through texture, light, and space. Doors and windows serve as allegories to “the other side,” as impressions of light and shadow demonstrate the delicate balance between life and death. Together the pictures ultimately illustrate how these liminal spaces serve as empty containers for a family’s bereavement and mourning, all while acknowledging the ambiguities and ironies in funerary practices.