Jordan Baseman: Deadness Exhibition

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by Bryony Harrison (subscribe)

Freelance writer and poet from London; if you would like to read my poetry, please check out my book, 'Poems on the Page', available from goo.gl/Ta4oAX.

Event: 29/05/2013 - 21/07/2013

Exploring Our Relationship With The Dead

jordan baseman, deadness, matt's gallery, the last walk

'The Last Walk', 2011, Jordan Baseman

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In some cultures death is almost a taboo subject; we don't like to talk about it. In others, death is celebrated and even looked forward to. Whatever the view point, one thing remains the same. Death is laden with ritual. Some are joyful, some are sombre, some are simple, while others are very elaborate.

In his most recent project, the filmmaker, Jordon Basement, explores our relationship with death through a series of photographs, films, and interviews. The Deadness is on display at Matt's Gallery until the 21st July, and looks at the ritual of embalming, focussing particularly on the observations made by sociologist Dr. John Troyer, who grew up around funeral homes.

As well as archival portraits, Basement uses photographs from an Australian bush fire in 2009 to act as a reminder of our mortality. He also presents The Last Walk, a film he made in 2011, featuring the British artist Stuart Brisley. It was filmed on the last day of central London's Christmas fair, shot using 35mm, and shown in colour negative. By using rudimentary techniques, the film has a distorted and fragmented appearance, adding to its macabre nature.