blog 14

Scott Chandler
his site (in particular the funeral homes)
Statement:
My Funeral Homes Series examines the design and atmosphere of modern funeral homes, and the effect of these spaces on their inhabitants. Every man made environment is constructed explicitly to facilitate a specific purpose or event, and to encourage a specific emotional state, and much can be read about those who dwell within. Funeral home interiors incorporate elements familiar and comforting to people in a time of grief and vulnerability. Couches, arm chairs, coffee tables, paintings, and drapery all provide a reminder of the average living room. However, certain elements disturb this imitation, such as the lack of personal items, the unusual arrangement of furniture, or the over-abundance of tissue boxes. The spaces are designed to give a sense of privacy, but are often used by several different families each day.

Death is an important aspect of this project, but the images do not confront the issue directly. The photographs take on a more passive approach to dealing with the subject of mortality. They do not overtly present the image of a funeral home, and will require some examination from the viewer. Most western cultures avoid dealing with death, and modern funeral services are a reflection of this. Bodies are preserved and appearances often restored to life-like conditions. Chapels and viewing rooms are filled with flowers and photographs of the deceased. My photographs reflect our tendency to avoid confrontation with death out of fear it will remind us of our own mortality.

Bio: I am a recent graduate of the Ontario College of Art & Design with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Photography. My work is primarily documentary based, and examines the constructed environment and its unconscious effect on its inhabitants. I am interested in issues of private and public space, representation, and isolation. I have recently exhibited at the Edward Day Gallery and Gallery 44, amongst others, and in 2007 I was selected as one of the winners for Canada in the Magenta Foundation’s Flash Forward emerging photographers competition. I currently reside in Montreal where I am pursuing a Master of Fine Arts at Concordia University.

Review: From Jen Bekman's Hey Hot Shot!...

When I saw this photo, I had a strong inclination to go here to see if I could color match the carpet to a stock palette in inventory and then here to research the economics of possible options to best outfit the floors of a funeral home. Scott Chandler's above photo reminds of the house I grew up in suburban Toronto with the barren walls, yellowed curtains, hideous light fixture and decent floor lamp, along with the synthetic, bright carpet (my house had pink carpet.) I also love how you can see the vacuum cleaner tracks across the carpet. That reminds me of my mom. Chandler says that his work is:

primarily documentary based, and examines the constructed environment and its unconscious effect on its inhabitants. I am interested in issues of private and public space, representation, and isolation.

This photo is from Chandler's Funeral Homes series which looks at the design and atmosphere of modern funeral homes and the effect of these spaces on their inhabitants:

Every man made environment is constructed explicitly to facilitate a specific purpose or event, and to encourage a specific emotional state, and much can be read about those who dwell within. Funeral home interiors incorporate elements familiar and comforting to people in a time of grief and vulnerability. Couches, arm chairs, coffee tables, paintings, and drapery all provide a reminder of the average living room. However, certain elements disturb this imitation, such as the lack of personal items, the unusual arrangement of furniture, or the over-abundance of tissue boxes. The spaces are designed to give a sense of privacy, but are often used by several different families each day.

Chandler currently resides and works in Toronto where he recently graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Photography from the Ontario College of Art and Design, adding to the list of many talented Canadian artists and designers that have come out of OCAD's doors. As a sidenote, when the college revealed its completed look to the city as a giant crayon box on stilts, designed by English architect, Will Alsop, there were many varied responses to its design. If you have not seen the very distinctive building, you can go here to see more images. The school is located in Downtown, Toronto beside the Art Gallery of Ontario (which is currently turning transforming into a $250-million remake by Frank Gehry.) Chandler has a website with the rest of the Funeral Home series as well as another body of work that looks at hotel lobbies. It is a rainy day here in New York. It is a day to sit inside and not endure Mother Nature. Here is a link to Six Feet Under clips: 1 + 2 + 3 + the last. After you've checked those out, you may also wish to enter the competition.

Link of the week!