Final Flap
The very moment I have pressed the button I experienced a perverse sense of justified discomfort. Where was this feeling coming from?
⚠️ EXPLICIT CONTENT WARNING. The following project talks about death and depicts deceased animals. ⚠️
Statement
Growing up my father would constantly showcase his ability to spot and name any living bird that passed us. Whether in nurture or nature he passed on this fascination with the aviatics from planes to the two-winged flappers onto me.
Wandering the streets of Prague one day I came across a dead bird surrounded by a metal arched grate that looked like the Pearly gates. The peace and quiet of the composition moved me.
As the mortalist and an observer that I am, I stepped over the bird and took a few shots, ignoring the judging looks of the onlookers. The very moment I have pressed the button I experienced a perverse sense of justified discomfort. Where was this feeling coming from? Why is it so wrong to celebrate them living, but ignore once dead? This concept captivated me ever since.
Over the years friends had joined in, taking and sending their photographs of a dead birds, making this into an almost participatory art movement. When I asked them about their experiences, they said they were in a hurry so one sees them. What they really wanted to say was that no one judges them.
While this series focuses on the deceased animals found and photographed while observed in the populated areas, the concept is ultimately about the Human ability to ignore the discomfortable situation. The observer ignoring the people, while the people ignoring the harrowing death.
The very first photo of a dead bird, that made me think Pearly gates.
The stilness would make you think this wasn't in the middle of Queens, NYC.
At the top of the Barcelona Cathedral...
...what do I find but a dead bird.
Not a bird, but when in Bordeaux, France, why not make it local.
Over time the visual nature of the street collided with the beauty of the deceased new soul.
Sometimes you bring friends with you.
Today
Nowadays I post only the one's that feel special. Click below for the collection with more photos and follow me on Instagram if this is to your fancy.