Film: Death, dissolution, renewal...

[Maris Rusis]

Bones and Mushrooms
​

Gelatin-silver photograph on Ilfobrom Grade 3 photographic paper, image size 24.5cm X 19.4cm, from a 8x10 TriX negative exposed in a Nagaoka 8x10 format field view camera fitted with a 360mm f6.8 Yamasaki Commercial Congo lens.

The animal died on this lonely patch of coastal heath near Noosa and the corruption of its flesh long past has become part of the earth. The rush of nutrients has brought forth mushrooms to celebrate their own feast; death, dissolution, renewal.....so it goes.

 

[Asher Kelman]

The animal died on this lonely patch of coastal heath near Noosa and the corruption of its flesh long past has become part of the earth. The rush of nutrients has brought forth mushrooms to celebrate their own feast; death, dissolution, renewal.....so it goes.

Maris Rusis: Bones and Mushrooms

Gelatin-silver photograph on Ilfobrom Grade 3 photographic paper,
image size 24.5cm X 19.4cm, from a 8x10 TriX negative exposed
in a Nagaoka 8x10 format field view camera fitted with a 360mm
f6.8 Yamasaki Commercial Congo lens.

​

The scattering of white bones by the predators, scavengers and elements have made staccato lines of elemental symbols on the earth marking where portions of the animal gave up it's life force to others. So, in a way, this is natural performance art, untouched by humans, just there to be respected and recognized. The nobility of the matter is in how closely we, ourselves, (that enjoy these photographs), are in genetic structure and complexity to the seemingly, "Lowly" mushrooms that thrive on this place of death and revival. In life terms of genetic sequences, the differences are trivial and that is both comforting and humbling. Most of the difference between us and the rest of life is either arrogance or delusion! I find this picture to have importance then, far beyond it's obvious technical quality as a labored work of an obviously accomplished and skillful artisan.

Of course, nothing I've said might have been in your mind and so forgive my muse working overtime!

Thanks for sharing!

Asher

 

[Jarmo Juntunen]

Maris, this is one those pictures that make me lose all words. Such a noble image! The title says it all and it is all in your picture.

 

[Mark Hampton]

Bones and Mushrooms
​

Gelatin-silver photograph on Ilfobrom Grade 3 photographic paper, image size 24.5cm X 19.4cm, from a 8x10 TriX negative exposed in a Nagaoka 8x10 format field view camera fitted with a 360mm f6.8 Yamasaki Commercial Congo lens.

The animal died on this lonely patch of coastal heath near Noosa and the corruption of its flesh long past has become part of the earth. The rush of nutrients has brought forth mushrooms to celebrate their own feast; death, dissolution, renewal.....so it goes.

Maris,

some bone and mushies - in almost every square yard on this planet you will find the same systems at work.

there is nothing special about it - recording it and presenting it in this fashion again does not make it special - it is a nostalgic view. I want not to like it. the view point is boring ..

but you kind of got me ... are there more of this ? or is this just one?

strange upside down people .

 

[Maris Rusis]

"Stop ye travellers as you pass by,
As you are now so once was I,
As I am now you soon shall be,
Prepare yourself to follow me."

I know it, we know it, the inevitability of dispersing our atoms back into the ecosystem that generates us and then eats us. But it is a shock to be reminded so plainly as in this scene of death and life. The photograph is perhaps my personal exorcism of dread. And the act of setting up a little portable shrine, the 8x10 camera, and making a burnt offering within it, the 8x10 sheet of film, absolves me from the grimness of further contemplation.

It is unusual that a large carcass will rot away so close to civilisation. I have found no more scenes like this. Others have been here before me and one of them has souvenired the animal's skull; strange upside down people.

 

[Mark Hampton]

from Greek ἐπιτάφιον epitaphion "a funeral oration" from ἐπί epi "at, over" and τάφος taphos "tomb"

"To follow you
I am not content,
How do I know
which way you went?"

nice words.

 

[Mark Hampton]

from Greek ἐπιτάφιον epitaphion "a funeral oration" from ἐπί epi "at, over" and τάφος taphos "tomb"

"To follow you
I am not content,
How do I know
which way you went?"

nice words.

btw - the quote above was the end of - or reply to Maris - it could be read thus - neither of us made these lines up;

"Stop ye travellers as you pass by,
As you are now so once was I,
As I am now you soon shall be,
Prepare yourself to follow me."

"To follow you
I am not content,
How do I know
which way you went?"

I was thinking of the shock - and also our inability to comprehend fully the mortal - even when faced with loss we imagine something else - when my father died i made up conversations with him - and they are now part of my memory - yet only in my mind did they every truly happen - its strange to think that those memories of things never said will one day become part of something else.

a slight tangent on this one could be Hirsts works - The Physical Impossibility of Death in the Mind of Someone Living

I love this idea - the title - not so sure about the work - but it opens up space to think into. to bring it back to the strange upside down people the original shark was caught off - upside down land !

 

[Rachel McLain]

This is really beautiful and thought provoking. Well done!