Proposals for the Funeral Artefacts for Six Women

This research explores, through practice, the capacity of fine art to embody and illuminate the meanings of ageing, and anticipation of death, of a number of women in their later middle years. The methodology incorporates some elements associated with interpretative sociology together with a developing methodology appropriate to research practice in fine art.

Six women, selected by reason of their age, are introduced by descriptive material drawing on what was known of their history prior to the start of the research. Each of the women were individually studied through in-depth interviews, and observations over a subsequent six year period, to ascertain their understandings and attitudes towards their ageing and mortality. Informed by the data provided by this material, four discrete sets of visual art works were produced as interpretative statements on behalf of, and for, four of the women.

The resultant works of art and, more specifically, their presentation in curated exhibition form along with other relevant material, are an attempt to offer insights into how these women make sense of their personal progressions towards death.

The self-sufficiency of visual conventions to perform this function is implicit as the central focus of the research. The exhibition constitutes the essential outcome of the research project. Other material outside the exhibition - in written and photographic form, for example, - is provided as context and background and to give further access to the process.

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