Reinscribing the Spectacle of Death

Abstract

Essay| June 01 2022 Reinscribing the Spectacle of Death: The Aesthetics of Spontaneous Memorials Kathy Johnson Bowles Kathy Johnson Bowles Kathy Johnson Bowles is an artist, writer, consultant, and independent scholar. Her work focuses on social justice and underrepresented voices. Search for other works by this author on: This Site PubMed Google Scholar Afterimage (2022) 49 (2): 3–18. https://doi.org/10.1525/aft.2022.49.2.3 Views Icon Views Article contents Figures & tables Video Audio Supplementary Data Peer Review Share Icon Share Twitter LinkedIn Tools Icon Tools Get Permissions Cite Icon Cite Search Site Citation Kathy Johnson Bowles; Reinscribing the Spectacle of Death: The Aesthetics of Spontaneous Memorials. Afterimage 1 June 2022; 49 (2): 3–18. doi: https://doi.org/10.1525/aft.2022.49.2.3 Download citation file: Ris (Zotero) Reference Manager EasyBib Bookends Mendeley Papers EndNote RefWorks BibTex toolbar search Search Dropdown Menu toolbar search search input Search input auto suggest filter your search All ContentAfterimage Search Consider these markings. A sea of red paper poppies worn on lapels by tens of thousands annually. Mounds of cellophane-wrapped flowers, stuffed animal toys, candles, and notes laid in front of Kensington Palace. A bicycle painted white and encrusted with plastic flowers punctuating the side of a busy roadway. Hashtags such as #SayTheirNames and #BlackLivesMatter repeated millions upon millions of times in cyberspace. Viewers understand their purposes—to memorialize. Whether for fallen soldiers, Princess Diana, a bicyclist hit and killed by an automobile, or those murdered in moments of profound injustice, these visual gestures reinscribe the spectacle of death visually. Known as spontaneous (and sometimes “makeshift”) memorials, these markings share commonalities, resulting in distinctive artworks existing in opposition to formal, sponsored, officially sanctioned, and permanent memorials. The construction methods of spontaneous memorials rely on the accumulation of readily available materials. The design elements typically focus on visual repetition, an allover composition,... You do not currently have access to this content.