© Gareth Phillips Existence I
"A patient lies in her bed Christmas day nurses have described her as on the pathway she passed away not long after this images was taken
The last moments of life are often associated with emotional memories and feelings that are experienced whilst in the physical world But what do we leave in the aftermath of our demise What do we experience leading up to the finality of death What is left of our presence These images document a presence that is experienced within the latter stages of life The physical presence showing the body dying skin that is wrinkled or a mind noticeably concerned or fearful of its next impending journey All these attributes make up a physical presence But what about a spiritual presence The shapes and contours that have been molded into a bed the movements within hospital and partition curtains the debris left within the sheets all invoke a spiritual accompaniment to the physical journey that is under taken at the latter stages of life These Images were produced at the Marie Curie Terminal Care Hospice located in Penarth South Wales They have been left purposely ambiguous with the intention of stimulating the viewers imagination into deciding what it sees My aim is to provoke thought into the situation faced at the latter stages of life whilst giving the viewer the opportunity to consider how these thoughts and interpretations might impact on their own existence
What do we experience leading up to the finality of life? What is left of our presence? What do we leave in the aftermath of our demise? These are questions I asked myself whilst carrying out a project about mortality and my suppositions are observed within the work produced here."
