Life Before Death

This is a series of photographs of people before and after death which I find very moving, as much for the brief descriptions of the people as for the pictures. When I saw Nigel Murray's body a few days after he died it was the first time I'd ever seen a corpse and it was a very important experience, not only to see a dead body but that of a close friend. For all the death and violence in popular culture, the simple fact of death seems to me largely avoided, in Britain at least. Why do we not see the dead at funerals? I think it's important, both to say goodbye to the person and also to put our own lives in perspective.

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Comments

Hello. I don't know what made me do it but I decided to google Nigel Murray tonight and found your website- I was very sad to hear Nigel is dead. He was my teacher when I was at Edinbirgh University from '75 to '79- he pushed me on to continue with the violin, even tho' I never thought I was good enough- and after a year with Andrievsky at the Menuhin School (all his idea) I somehow made it to be a professional violinist, starting off with the SCO. To cut a long story short I am now in Vancouver, playing with the Symphony and freelancing. If you have time I would love to hear a bit about Nigel- and Jean his wife. They were kind original people, and he was an inspiration. P.S. love the Rachmaninov.

Posted by Pamela Marks on 04 June 2009

After birth, death is the most important event in your life. Yet, it's weird; when you actually die you don't know you have. I will be having my clarinet sonata recorded for youtube in February 11 to replace the one there that sounds as if it's played in a swimming pool. I have a clarinetist in my mind. Can you recommend an up-and-coming pianist? - MU rates + Ah, you were paying Kapustin for a few seconds.

Posted by Graham Lyons on 14 November 2010

Thank you for pointing us in the direction of this exhibition. I too found it very moving. The pictures of the dead bodies were just that, bodies with no soul - empty.

Posted by Lins on 29 July 2008

Actually I responded to it rather differently. I don't like the idea of the soul leaving the body - it seems to me a way of making the reality of death more palatable, as if a part of us will survive leaving the bodily shell behind. The impossible idea is that this incredible consciousness we enjoy simply stops one day. That's what these pictures are about for me.

Posted by Steven Osborne on 31 July 2008