Critique of Art on a Social Issue // Social Issue: Dealing with Death
Title not known
Lady of the Lake
Gammelyn’s Daughter
While Nightingales Wept
Spirited Away
The Faraway Tree
The Ghost Swift
The Guidance of Stray Souls
To view the entire collection of pictures visit Kirsty Mitchell’s website
Background
The photographs above are part of a set entitled Wonderland (2009-2013) taken by photographer Kirsty Mitchell. Mitchell began the ’Wonderland’ project after her mother died of a cancerous brain tumor. Mitchell’s mother’s funeral was in France but she lived in England, so only close family members were in attendance. Mitchell felt the small funeral meant her mother would be forgotten and wanted to do something to make sure that her mother was remembered. Mitchell created the ‘Wonderland’ project to make sure her mother would be remembered and as a means of coping with the pain she felt.
Mitchell’s original idea was to create a storybook-like set of pictures dedicated to her mother inspired by the fairy-tales her mother read to her as a child. The project soon became a source of personal happiness and growth to Mitchell. The project continued, reflected in the photographs through the changing of the seasons, and is continuing today.
Social Issue
The social issue reflected in the photos is dealing with death. Everyone at some point faces the death of a loved one and dealing with the death is an issue in our culture. The emotions one feels after losing a loved one are conveyed in the pictures – sadness, despair, loss, remembrance and anger. Each picture conveys a different aspect of dealing with death in our culture today.
To me the most interesting thing about the project is seeing how one’s feelings change and develop while coping with death. Mitchell’s early pictures reflect being sad, lost and desperate. They then seem to become more calm and peaceful, as if she is coming to terms with the death. Then there are many pictures reflecting Mitchell’s mother, showing Mitchell is remembering her. The most recent pictures are harsh and reflect anger and sadness. The project reflects how one’s feelings evolve while coping with death.
Also, the pictures themselves are breathtakingly beautiful. They require a lot of time and effort to create, and this is reflected in the final photos. The use of color, light, costume, makeup, aspects of nature including leaves, flowers, snow, trees and butterflies and props including books and cut-outs help to convey the different emotions one feels when dealing with death. The ‘Wonderland’ projects takes the viewer on an emotional journey of dealing with the pain of death and helps them think about this societal issue.
ariella polisuk 