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May 1, 2008
Edelgard Clavey, age: 67, born: 29th June 1936first portrait taken: 5th December 2003
died: 4th January 2004, at Helenenstift Hospice, Hamburg
Photos copyright by Walter Schels
Photography allows us to vicariously "experience" people, places, events and phenomena that we may never have the opportunity to experience directly. This series is a remarkable example: portraits made of people who knew they were dying, and who gave their permission to be photographed shortly before — and immediately after — they died.
Photographer Walter Schels and editor Beate Lakotta have documented these profound final moments with the utmost compassion. They have titled this body of work noch mal leben, or Life before Death
The results — literally and figuratively — force us to look death squarely in the face and contemplate mortality. To see this work in an exhibition space, each portrait slightly larger than life-size, is to experience an emotional blow that makes an indelible impression in one's consciousness.
I first saw this work just last week while participating in the City of Hamburg's Phototriennale. After returning home, it was the one body of work that I could not stop thinking about. My friend, photographer Elaine Duigenan, just saw the exhibition in London (where it is appearing at the same time), and wrote to me:
"I have just seen the show 'Life Before Death' here as it is at the Wellcome Collection - I am not surprised that you are headlining with it - phenomenal, truly amazing! What was most strange was the 'quietness' in the space where people view the images - a truly important and emotive experience unlike any other..."
Lens Culture is honored to be able to present six of the portraits here, accompanied with brief and compelling texts that give us some personal insight about each of the subjects.
Don't miss it.
Please add your own comments about this work below.
9 Comments
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This is such haunting and life-affirming work. The video of the artists made it even more meaningful. I hope to see it in person someday.
This work is so great because it brings art to a higher level: the one where ordinary people can feel about life.
Congratulations! It touched me deeply!
And this woman is such a wise person! Death after all is our only sureness! Why not accept it?
Thank you.
very touching.
I hope we get a chance to see this exhibition some day in Montréal.
Thank you very much for being so "human" and respectful in your approach. I had a look at the pictures and watched the video with you both and it is very touching. Your work is very important for the world as you bring to us the conscious of the smallness of human lives as well as the greatness. You started something beyond your work, it looks like consciousness.
I'll send an email to the French journalist who wrote about you. I want to thank him for the sharing of his emotions.
Josée Miron
Québec, Canada
beautiful... tout simplement beau.... cest magnifique... jai l'impression que la mort est belle... les sujets devienne éternel... ils ont l'air paisible...cest magnifique touchant ca change les perceptions je crois que cest de l'art pur et simple ...on dirait que le sujet parle ...avec le regard ..la pause jai l'impression que le photographe a saisie l'ame de la personne... cest tellement beau...merci...
rouyn-noranda. québec,canada
shawnee-katrian blais-l.
Thank you for an excellent exhibition - both content and presentation which I saw at the Wellcome Museum in May.
Given that you (Walter) took these photos of those dying and then dead because of your fear of dying and death, I would be interested to know whether and how this helped your fear?
Now a request: I am the End of Life Care Lead for the SHA in West Midlands and with a colleague at the Leveson Centre have set up a webiste
www.wellbeingindying.org.uk James and I are interested in being able to display your work, even if just 2 pairs of these photos on our site and or put an official link to your work.
Can we do this and or what do you suggest
I look forward to hearing from you
Pauline.Smith@westmidlands.nhs.uk
I came across your site while looking for information on death masks.
I am the author of the book, "Confessions of a Feng Shui Ghost-Buster" and I write about this subject as it refers to releasing ghosts and spirits. I would like to know if either of you saw or have seen any of the people you spoke to before death and after they died. We don't like to talk about this but it is inevitable for all of us.
I want to say how much I enjoyed your video and your explanation on the subject.
www.prezio.com
These people are such an inspiration; the portraits have a serene beauty. My mother died last year; she was 87 and had had Alzheimer`s, but her lovely face was restored to her in death. This site is profoundly comforting.