Exhibition Review: Alive: In The Face of Death, Walker Art Gallery, Liverpool

Sandra Barber. Image © Rankin

Display dedicated to Rankin's parents

The wall display of Louise Page

'Life Casts' Series

Walker Art Gallery, Liverpool, UK
17th May – 15th September 2013

Death is an unknown quantity, looming ominously over us all. This natural, yet mysterious progression is the cause of anxiety in many, and although inevitable, has become a taboo in today’s society.  Instead of addressing the issue directly, it is often avoided. However, ‘Alive: In The Face of Death’ at Liverpool’s Walker Art Gallery, displays a collection of portrait photographs by the celebrated photographer Rankin, confronting this fundamental part of life; and in so doing challenges viewers to reconsider their perception of death, and attempts to demystify any fears that we may have.

The exhibition includes photographs of survivors, the terminally ill, those who work alongside death, and the deceased. The result is an array of images packed with emotional depth resonating the principal meaning of this exhibition – that death should encourage one to appreciate and celebrate life.

This exhibition proves contrary to the preconceived notion that death must be morbid. ‘Alive: In The Face of Death’ feels fresh, its originality emanating from the profound message at its core and through the sheer variety of photographs. As you come under the knowing gaze of hundreds of eyes, you are reminded that death is what unites us all.

These photographs are a far cry from Rankin’s usual repertoire of celebrities and famous faces; here he focuses solely on ordinary people and their experiences with death. The death of his parents was the catalyst for his change of artistic direction, making him thus question morality. Inspired by his subjects, Rankin began to reassess his views on death through the medium of his own powerful portraits.

Subtly avoiding what could have been an overwhelming atmosphere of melancholy, the majority of the stories demonstrate the new purpose and vitality that people have found, with these positive outlooks being instilled into the viewer. Rankin’s underlying message seems to be that it is only when truly confronting our mortality that we are able to appreciate the life that we have. Despite the general air of positivity, the more solemn images are a crucial tool, used to provide perspective and grounding for the viewer. 

Displayed across two small rooms, the exhibition creates an intimate encounter. The show draws you first to a series of photographs forming the shape of a heart, which were not taken by Rankin specifically for this exhibition. They are private, personal photographs of his parents, with the wall acting as a very public memorial. Serving as a reminder that death is just a natural part of life, this display shows how universal and intimate an exhibition is both for those photographed, and for Rankin himself.

Each image is accompanied with a written account detailing the life of the person, providing an emotional and cathartic experience for the reader. For many of the subjects, the illnesses they currently battle are not perceived as an end, but as a means of celebrating and cherishing life.

The photograph of breast cancer sufferer, Sandra Barber, is what sparked Rankin’s interest in people’s relationship with death. Composed of vivid colours, extravagant makeup and black and red plumage transforms Sandra into a warrior, appearing ready to battle cancer literally. Rankin portrays courageousness that many of us would be unable to comprehend when faced with death. It is a truly inspirational photograph.

The reality is the poignant fact that many do not survive. One example is the touching story of Louise Page. When told her bone cancer was untreatable, she began writing a blog articulating her feelings of life and death. A sequence of monochrome photographs culminates in a large portrait of Louise clenching her fists in defiance with make-up flowing down her face.  Ultimately, Louise looks strong, posing as if looking death straight in the eye, clearly torn between grief and determination. This made even more significant by the fact that three days after attending the exhibition launch, Louise passed away.

As well as the displayed photographs, Rankin has produced work that reflects his own personal view of death, in the form of his ‘Life Casts’ series. Paying tribute to one of the oldest traditions and rituals associated with death, Rankin has commissioned and photographed a collection of casts made from famous people’s faces. These haunting, surreal and extremely interesting images juxtapose with the personas that we normally associate with their famous names. Faces such as Arnold Schwarzenegger and Joanna Lumley are presented, encouraging the viewer to perhaps reassess Rankin’s work and what he is normally associated with, and remind us of the passage of life that we will all encounter at some point.

These images are especially poignant and moving in the exhibition, contrasting with the various photographs that celebrate life. Whereas the ‘Life Casts’ series produce a somewhat more saddened emotion when compared to the rest of the show.

What is ever more so invigorating about this exhibition is that it continues once leaving the physical show in the form of online platforms where people can share their own personal experiences about death, and the incorporation of a documentary on the BBC exploring Rankin’s journey in creating the exhibition.

What Rankin portrays through this exhibition is that humanity is arguably at its most expressive when stripped bare. True artistic power resonates with the viewer only once the trivialities of life are cast aside, and all there is left to see is emotion in its rawest form. The purity and truth that Rankin is able to capture within the simplest of photographs is nothing short of staggering, and this exhibition remains testament to the clarity of thought evident when there is nothing left to face but our own mortality.