Photography Exhibit: Life Before Death

Read the following article about German photographer Walter Schels and view the gallery of photos at the bottom of the article. While viewing the photos, don't forget to read the information describing each photograph.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2008/apr/01/society.photography

After reading and viewing, come back here and answer the following (I recommend copying/pasting the questions into your own post an answering in another color):

1. Explain the benefits and downsides of the subject Walter Schels has chosen to study. How does it effect him both positively and negatively?

2. How has the creation of this artistic exhibit changed the artist? How did viewing it change you?

3. Do you think this exhibit is art? Why/why not?

4. Which of the photo pairs do you find the most poignant? Explain.

5. Which of the subjects' words did you find the most striking? Explain.

I don't want to feed you answers for the first three, but I will share my insights on the last two....

4. Which of the photo pairs do you find the most poignant? Explain.

I particularly loved photo 22 - the second portrait of Klara Behrens. The way her face fills nearly the entire frame is beautiful. As a viewer of these photographs, I prefer that we don't get distracted by the style of her hair or the environment surrounding the body. She appears calm, as if death took her gently. The lines on her face and sunspots on her skin give her the appearance of a long, full life. I appreciate her loss and feel thankful she doesn't appear contorted by nausea or pain. This woman shared many words and experiences with others; rather than looking like an empty shell, she looks full in the recognition of her own death.

5. Which of the subjects' words did you find the most striking? Explain.

I am sticking with Klara on this one too - "I wonder if it’s possible to have a second chance at life? I don’t think so. I’m not afraid of death — I’ll just be one of the million, billion grains of sand in the desert…” This reminds me of Morrie's belief that humanity is an ocean as well as the line from The Five People You Meet in Heaven that reminds us "the stories are all one." It seems as Klara approaches death she is aware and grateful for her place in the cosmos. To other readers, she may sound jaded - as in, why have I lived/loved/toiled here on the earth if I am just another grain of sand? I just choose not to hear her that way.

1. On the upside he gets to learn about death and how people feel about it. On the down he has to see all those people potential friends die right there.
2. It most likly gave him a new view on life. For me it didnt change much of how im thinking now.
3. Yes, because anything can be art if thats what you think is beautifull then surly other people will as well.
4. I think the last one, especally for the quote at the end.

1. Explain the benefits and downsides of the subject Walter Schels has chosen to study. How does it effect him both positively and negatively?
How i think that this subject has a major affect on him. I think that this allows him to see how many people live their lives, and how much life is really worth, some other ways this could positively effect him would allow him to see how he can better himself to help others. This has to have a negative effect on him. Not many people can see dying people everyday and it have no affect on them.
2. How has the creation of this artistic exhibit changed the artist? How did viewing it change you?
The creation of this exhibit I am sure has changed the artist in so many ways. One could not look at death the same way. This allows me to see that death isn't always a bad thing. In most of this phots the people look more peaceful when they have passed.
3. Do you think this exhibit is art? Why/why not?
I don't think that one can say what art is or is not. In my personal opinion I do not think that this is art because this is not something that i would want to see, and look at everyday.
4. Which of the photo pairs do you find the most poignant? Explain.
The one that draws my attention the most would have to be Greda #13. The reason why i like this one so much is becasue she was a hard working lady and she was couldn't believe that cancer was beating her. In the second photo when she had passed she looked alot more peaceful than the others.
5. Which of the subjects' words did you find the most striking? Explain.But she didn’t blame anyone.
Not even herself. She had made peace with everyone, she said. I found this ladies words to be so striking, because all that she had been through she had found peace with herself.

1. Explain the benefits and downsides of the subject Walter Schels has chosen to study. How does it effect him both positively and negative?
it showed him that people that know their death is right around the corner can still be full of life, it was rather depressing though getting know these people and having them die just a few weeks later

2. How has the creation of this artistic exhibit changed the artist? How did viewing it change you?
it taught him about life and death, i found it rather disturbing but slightly intriguing

3. Do you think this exhibit is art? Why/why not?
you could call it art because of its creativity, but i find it hard to observe and go over

4. Which of the photo pairs do you find the most poignant? Explain.
i think gerda strech, she looks like a healthy not even that old lady, and she doesnt want to go, but she dies, barely over a week after the first photo was taken

5. Which of the subjects' words did you find the most striking? Explain.
Maria Hai-Anh Tuyet Cao's words i find striking, she says "Death is nothing, i embrace death, it is not eternal, afterwards, when we meet God, we become beautiful. We are only called back to earth if we are still attached to another human being in the final seconds

1. Explain the benefits and downsides of the subject Walter Schels has chosen to study. How does it effect him both positively and negatively?
The benefits of the topic are that Walter has overcome his fear of dead people. He has gained more knowledge about dead people.The downsides are that he got somewhat attached to these people, talking to them about their life, and then they died. This effects him because he can now handle death somewhat better, but at the same time it makes him sad.
2. How has the creation of this artistic exhibit changed the artist? How did viewing it change you?
The creation of this exhibit has changed this artist by making him realize that death is going to happen. You can't avoid it, death is a part of life. Viewing it has changed me by making me realize that when you die, you don't just automatically look dead. You sort of look like your just sleeping. These people didn't look like they were in pain anymore.
3. Do you think this exhibit is art? Why/why not?
In a way yes, because it is very unique and interesting. Not many people would come up with this concept of taking pictures of people before and after death. It is intriguing for people to see. These pictures could be in a museum and that makes it art.
4. Which of the photo pairs do you find the most poignant? Explain.
I thought the photo of Rita was the most poignant. Her photos were very real. She almost smiles in her first picture and in her second she is gone. You can tell that she is no longer alive. She looks like something from her body has escaped and just left her there.
5. Which of the subjects' words did you find the most striking? Explain.
Heiner, says “But no one asks me how I feel. Don't they get it? I'm going to die!” I found this the most striking. I think nobody really wants anyone close to them to die, so no one talks about it. The dying want to talk about it though because it makes them feel human.

1. Explain the benefits and downsides of the subject Walter Schels has chosen to study. How does it effect him both positively and negatively?
Since he has chosen to study the photography of the dying people, it has effected him in different ways. Schels explained that its such a hard topic to photograph, because the people are dying. Some of the patients he photographs say that they feel better that someone is listening to them unlike most people. They feel as they can talk about their illness and for schels to know that it makes him feel like he's doing something good. Negatively, its just hard for him to see people alive first, and then the next time he goes back to photograph them, they're dead.

2. How has the creation of this artistic exhibit changed the artist? How did viewing it change you?
The creation of the artistic exhibit has changed not only how they feel about dying themselves, but how they feel about living. He said that they would support a friend or relative through a terminal illness. This has changed the artist in a good way, because now they know they would help someone through a tragedy.

3. Do you think this exhibit is art? Why/why not?
I think the exhibit is art because Death is a subject that we have to deal with everyday. I think there is more to art than a beautiful scenery. The photography of death is a piece of art. The pictures are not just any pictures. I think it's significant that there is a picture of the terminally ill patient before he/she is dead, and then after. For these pictures to be in an art exhibit i think they have a lot of meaning and people can really look deep into the picture and get something out of it.

4. Which of the photo pairs do you find the most poignant? Explain.
The photo of Elly Genthe was the most poignant to me. When i saw the first picture of her, she looked like she was suffering with the breathing tube under her nose. She didnt look well, and after reading her description, i could tell that she wanted to live, but as a healthier woman. It was hard to look at her after because she looks like a cute grandma, and it was hard to know that she did want to live. It was hard to read what she had to say about her death coming ahead of her.

5. Which of the subjects' words did you find the most striking? Explain.
Beate Taube's words were most striking to me because she is a woman who died of breast cancer and she had a family at home; a husband and childeren. She said that it would be too dificult to leave them and too painful to have them there with her. I thought this was weird because she died alone with out the people who mean most to her. Her own husband explained that it was hard that he coudlnt be there with her, but he knew it was easier for her. I just could never picture anyone saying that because that takes a lot to accept that you're dying of a sickening disease, and on top of that you wouldnt want your family to be there to say goodbye.

1. Explain the benefits and downsides of the subject Walter Schels has chosen to study. How does it effect him both positively and negatively?

Through Walter Schels study he has learned and over came his fear of death and dead people in general. His photographing was a challenge because he would get calls extremely early in the morning to come and take pictures of someone who had just passed away. It was draining emotionally and relentless. His whole study has affected him in a possitive way by realizing that when you know you are dying you become the realest you could ever be. Negatively, no matter how long he had been doing it, everytime he touched a body it was still a shock to feel it was like cement, cold, hard, and heavy.

2. How has the creation of this artistic exhibit changed the artist? How did viewing it change you?

The creation of the exhibit has changed him by becoming more open to the idea of death and becoming close to reality of dead people. His photographs show how life changes in such a short amount of time and the affect it has on the body so quickly as well. It shows that others should be open wtih the idea of death and not act as if anything were wrong. For me, viewing the pictures opened up my eyes and made me think of my family and the fact that I have loved ones with an illness. It makes me realize that they might only have a short amount of time and I need to open and understanding with them about the idea of dying.



3. Do you think this exhibit is art? Why/why not?

I think this exhibit is art because its an art that is so real and very affective to people. There is also no limit to art in my opinion. It doesnt just have to be drawings of shapes and colors or of people and scenery. Art is what you make it and that is what Walter made his art out of, photography of death.


4. Which of the photo pairs do you find the most poignant? Explain.
The photo that I find most poignant to me is of Elly Genthe. From the first glance I could tell she was suffering even with breathing tube under her nose. The description showed how badly she didnt want to leave and she wasnt ready but because of her condition there was no other way to go but soon pass away. Her after picture made it a little better to see because even though she might not of been ready, her suffering was finally over and she looked serene and peaceful.



5. Which of the subjects\' words did you find the most striking? Explain.

The words most striking to me were the words from Beate Taube\'s because I couldnt imagine being sick with brest cancer and a full family. It\'s hard to read and comprehend because I can relate to relatives with the same problem. She says it would be too hard to leave her family at such a time in all their lives, but i was somewhat shocked to know she has this family but she dies alone. In my opinion i dont think that would be such a peaceful death because her very own family wasnt there to say goodbye. Her husband even says it was hard but in the end there was nothing to do but know that her time came to an end.

1. Explain the benefits and downsides of the subject Walter Schels has chosen to study. How does it effect him both positively and negatively?

There are many positive and negative sides to the subject that Walter Schels chose to study. Since he chose to take pictures of people before and after their death he forms a relationship with them so it is probably hard to form that relationship with them and know them and then deal with their dead bodies and go through the same process with them but with them being dead now-"But one thing you never get used to is the feel of a dead person - it's always shocking," she says. "It's like cement - that cold, that hard, and that heavy." On the other hand it would effect him in a positive way because since he knows them before they die and photograph them and then after tehy die dealing with their dead bodies it makes him realize death is a very real thing and it helps him to accept death.-"Nothing, it is said, teaches us more about living than dying."

2. How has the creation of this artistic exhibit changed the artist? How did viewing it change you?

The creation of this exhibit changed him because he says "I felt it enabled me as a photographer to get as close as it's possible to get to the core of a person; when you're facing the end, everything that's not real is stripped away. You're the most real you'll ever be, more real than you've ever been before". It helped him to realize how you should make every day of your life count and be real and true to yourself because in the end that's all you have left. Seeing the exhibit for myself helped me to realize how real death really is and seeing these people alive and posing for the camera and then in the very next picture seeing them dead and knowing they aren't just sleeping and all that is left is a body it is a shock to me and helps realize death really is a real thing that you have to accept because it does happen to everyone.

3. Do you think this exhibit is art? Why/why not?

I do think that this exhibit is art because art can be anything not just a painted picture of beautiful scenery. Photographs can be art as well. All of these photographs have a lot of meaning to them especially after you look at the person before they die and after and by looking at that many people can get a lot out of it and relate to it in their own personal ways.

4. Which of the photo pairs do you find the most poignant? Explain.

I find the photo of Elly Genthe the most poignant because she looks so furious and upset with everything going on. The tubes in her nose also add to it because it shows that her body is slowly shutting down. In the second picture after she had died there is a dramatic change because when she was alive she looks so mad and ready to fight like she would do anything and then in the second photo she is calm and at peace.

5. Which of the subjects' words did you find the most striking? Explain.

I found Rita Schoffler's words the most striking because the first thing she wanted to do when she foundout she was dying was speak to her ex husband who she hadn't talked to in 20 years. I think it is good that she wanted to die on good terms and called him because if she were to die and they hadn't talked and been on such bad terms he would have had to live with that for the rest of his life, and even for her she didn't want to die without talking to him and forgiving because she knew she wouldn't die and be in complete peace with her life. I think she teaches everyone a good lesson that life is very short and to forgive because you never know when anyones day will be their last. she also says that for weeks all she wanted to do was die but once she found the strength to forgive him she wanted to participate in life one last time which shows it is better to forgive ("hate is easy, love takes courage")

1. Explain the benefits and downsides of the subject Walter Schels has chosen to study. How does it effect him both positively and negatively?
One benefit to their study was that it brought them closer to the taboo subject of death. After working with the termanilly ill they recognized how people acted, and what the right course of action should be. The downside of working with the dead was that they had to be on call at all times. So if the phone rings at 2am, they had to be out the door and take the picture before the corner comes to get the body.

2. How has the creation of this artistic exhibit changed the artist? How did viewing it change you?
I think these picures have brought the artist closer to an understanding of death. Before this project he couldnt stand to see, or be near, a dead body. But with help from friends he was able to capture the essence of life and death. Now when i see these pictures, i see a peaceful resting place.

3. Do you think this exhibit is art? Why/why not?

4. Which of the photo pairs do you find the most poignant? Explain.

5. Which of the subjects' words did you find the most striking? Explain.

1. Explain the benefits and downsides of the subject Walter Schels has chosen to study. How does it effect him both positively and negatively?

The topic of death is very difficult to understand and to study because no one really knows what it’s like to die until we are dying. Schels is privileged in choosing this topic to study because this will allow himself to better prepare for his own death by seeing how others deal with theirs. Schels can see the different aspects that other people take on their own death and he will see how those who are dying view life as well. The downside to it all is that he is surrounded by death and sadness. People are always dying around him because that is all that he is dealing with. Seeing their different views is a good idea, but people can only take to see so much death in their life. Schels is engulfed in nothing but people dying. He looks at babies dying that haven’t been given the chance to live to old people who have lived way longer than most people. Being impacted both positively and negatively by this study, Schels had to weigh what means more to him when taking this task.


2. How has the creation of this artistic exhibit changed the artist? How did viewing it change you?

The artist was changed by this exhibit because he has seen death in so many different forms and from so many different views that his own views on death and on life have changed. The artist has witnessed the before and the after of people when they are going through the process of death. He has seen death in so many different people that he has an idea of how he wants to deal with death himself. I have changed because looking at the faces of the soon to be dead and the recently deceased made an impact on me. Seeing those faces made me uneasy at first but I began to see a type of peacefulness in each person. Death doesn’t have to be a violent event but a serene ceremony.

3. Do you think this exhibit is art? Why/why not?

Yes I do think this exhibit is art because it is photography and photography is art yet it shows death which very little photographs show unless it is some bloody outcome. Art is all about expression and these photos express what death truly is and it shows that death is very real and happens to everyone.

4. Which of the photo pairs do you find the most poignant? Explain.

The most poignant pair I think is Peter Kelling because he looks the same after he died as he does when he was alive. I don’t know if it’s just the pose that makes him look very similar but it seems that he just fell asleep after that first photo and then another picture was taken.


5. Which of the subjects' words did you find the most striking? Explain.

I’m going to go with Roswitha Pacholleck when she says, “I know in my mind that I am going to die, but who knows? There may still be a miracle.” I think that it’s amazing that even through everything she has endured and she knows her end, she still holds on to a tiny bit of hope of that miracle happening to her. If she had the unlikeliness to obtain her condition then possibly she will be the unlikely one to get rid of it as well.

1. Explain the benefits and downsides of the subject Walter Schels has chosen to study. How does it effect him both positively and negatively?

-Some of the benefits and positive effects of the subject that Walter Schels has chosen to study is that it gives him a whole new look at life and of death. It gives us a better understanding of death and helps us not to be afraid of it. A down side or negative effect would be that you have to look at dead people all the time and be there to do the photo shoot not to long after the person dies so that gravity or rigor mortis does not alter the body.

2. How has the creation of this artistic exhibit changed the artist? How did viewing it change you?

-The creation of this artistic exhibit changed the artist by helping him overcome his fear of death that he has had since he was a child. It gave him a whole new look at life and death. He now feels good about what he does and enjoys doing it. Viewing the photos changed me by opening up a new, maybe better view of life here on earth. How precious life is and it shouldn't be wasted.

3. Do you think this exhibit is art? Why/why not?

-I do think that this exhibit is art, because it is a creation that a photographic artist came up with. Art can be anything that you can create, it is something that you can put on display and learn from. I do find this art kind of wierd, but I do think that it is very interesting.

4. Which of the photo pairs do you find the most poignant? Explain.

I find the photos of Elly Genthe to be most poignant because he features changed so much from life to death. She looks very different dead than when she was alive. Her face when she was alive looks angry or frustrated, all I know is that she doesn't look to happy. When she is dead, she looks drained, kind of floppy and lifeless.

5. Which of the subjects' words did you find the most striking? Explain.

I found the words of Beate Taube to be most striking, only because she went to go see here grave site where should would lay dead only hours or days later. I do not know about her, but to me that would be wierd and scary at the same time, maybe that is because I am young and don't want to die, maybe I will have a different view when I am old.

1. Explain the benefits and downsides of the subject Walter Schels has chosen to study. How does it effect him both positively and negatively?
Schels is definitely an extremely different person for doing this project and I think that it's for the better. Death is usually a topic that is much more easy to talk about and imagine than actually experience in one way or another. Coming up with the idea and executing it are two different things and I admire Schels and Lakotta for following through with such a raw and controversial concept. They could both benefit by just listening to the patients and what they had to say about what went on in their lives and what death was like for them. Also, actually seeing the patient go through the process of dying would've been benificial. In the negative sense, it'd be very trying to get close to all of the patients, see them die, and then have to keep a business-like sense about you as you're positioning and photographing their bodies. I do believe, though, that the good outweighs the bad in this particular situation.

2. How has the creation of this artistic exhibit changed the artist? How did viewing it change you?
Schels mentioned that after his traumatizing experience in Munich as a child, he always feared dead bodies. This project was a way to help him overcome that and actually become comfortable with the whole concept. Seeing these people at the end of their days and hearing what they had to say about living life and being yourself changed Schels and his partner remarkably. They now both feel they have a much more thorough understanding of the fact that every person should live life to the fullest, as cliche as it sounds. I feel the same way as well. Of course, viewing the exhibit didn't affect me as much as creating it would have, but reading the captions about the deceased's lives made it much more real than just seeing the pictures would have.

3. Do you think this exhibit is art? Why/why not?
I most definitely think it's art. First off, because I don't think that it's my place to say that what one person believes is a work of art isn't. Secondly, what I find artistic about it is that through these pictures you can see that it's not your physical body that makes you who you are, but your spirit. These people look so similar in both pictures even though they are alive and breathing in one and dead in the other. Schels' work blurs the line between the world of the living and the afterlife in such a seamless manner.

4. Which of the photo pairs do you find the most poignant? Explain.
The pictures of Beate, the woman who died of breast cancer, were my personal favorite because they were a completely perfect example of Schels blurring the line between life and death. In the picture taken while she was still alive, her face was expressionless. In the photo take after she died, it almost looks as if she is smiling. A complete reversal of how things "should" be.

5. Which of the subjects' words did you find the most striking? Explain.
The statement Heiner Schmitz made about how his friend's wouldn't just talk to him about how he was dying struck me the most. It was an example from real life about the point that the survivors of someone terminally ill would rather stay in their happy world instead of come to terms with the fact that the person they care about is going to die. All he wanted was someone to be there for him to talk and everyone around him was too busy doing what made them happy.

1. Explain the benefits and downsides of the subject Walter Schels has chosen to study. How does it effect him both positively and negatively?
Walter Schels experienced both positive and negative sides of this photography project. It was sad for him to see how people who are dying feel so alone and detached from this life. He saw these people when many of them had no hope. On the other hand he had an opportunity to make these people feel important and as if they had contributed something a last time to this world. When the dying told him that they were tired of thier family and friends faking how they were acting around them

2. How has the creation of this artistic exhibit changed the artist? How did viewing it change you?

3. Do you think this exhibit is art? Why/why not?


4. Which of the photo pairs do you find the most poignant? Explain.

5. Which of the subjects' words did you find the most striking? Explain

1. Explain the benefits and downsides of the subject Walter Schels has chosen to study. How does it effect him both positively and negatively? There were many benefits and downside to this project that Walter Schels had to face. It caused alot of stress on Mr. Schels and caused heart ache. Dealing with the dead bodies never got used to it was always shocking. At the same time for Schels it benefit him in way that he over came the fear of death and it was easier for him to not fear the future.

2. How has the creation of this artistic exhibit changed the artist? How did viewing it change you?
The Creation of this artistic exhibit changed the artist in many ways help him to realize and mature as an artist and a person. For me viewing this helped me to realize what death is more. Death should not be lonely and depressed it should be a time where you spend your ast moments on earth with your loved ones and family.

3. Do you think this exhibit is art? Why/why not?
This exhibit is art. Art is a creation and a meaning behind it. Schels created and invisioned it in his mind what he would do and how he would get his point across. Not only is it art but it is a life style.[/color]


4. Which of the photo pairs do you find the most poignant? Beate Taube, 44 his pair of photos was the most poignant. His before death picture was completely and dramatically different.

5. Which of the subjects' words did you find the most striking? Explain.
Elly Genthe was 83. Her pair of photos was the most poignant. In the beginning she wanted said that if she couldnt take care of herself she wanted to be dead. Her strength was strong but the closer she got to death her strength weakened and the fear of death became stronger. She began to hallucinate.

1. Explain the benefits and downsides of the subject Walter Schels has chosen to study. How does it effect him both positively and negatively? The benefits of Mr. Schels was that he got to experience life and death, photographing them for his own or others benefits. The downsides were it was hard to deal with the dead bodies, taking pictures or moving them into a position. It effected him positively because it gave him a different perspective on death. Negavtively he still had fears of death.

2. How has the creation of this artistic exhibit changed the artist? How did viewing it change you? He has different feelings about death from this than how he viewed it before. Its kind of scary looking at it first but it makes you think and wonder how they felt.

3. Do you think this exhibit is art? Why/why not? Yes because it's your own personal opinion of what you consider art to be. I think it is because its unique and has feeling to it.

4. Which of the photo pairs do you find the most poignant? Explain. I found that Elly Genthe's picture was the most poignant because she looked very angry and hard to deal with in her before death picture and the picture that was taken after she died she looked quiet and content but still caried that 'tough' look to her.

5. Which of the subjects' words did you find the most striking? Explain. Barbara Gröne because she explains that all her life she was an unwanted baby, she wondered why she was alive because she believed she had no right. She later got diagnosed with ovarian tumour which had spread.

1. Explain the benefits and downsides of the subject Walter Schels has chosen to study. How does it effect him both positively and negatively?


The benefits to his subject matter was: he overcame his fear of dead bodies, made him appreciate living, and how to treat a terminally ill friend. I feel he understands more what death brings us, and since he is 72 years old and approaching death soon; it benefits him in understanding and not fearing the end but embracing it for what its worth. That is, the joy of life and appreciating everyday.
The downside to his subject matter was they were all so negative and lonely. Only one person embraced death with out fear. It would have been very benefitial for him and his shoot to have had a subject who embraced death with loveing open arms. In addition, taking pictures of dead people is extremely creepy and Schels says, "I could never get over the shock." It is very depressing meeting a person and watching them die. Also, he had to sometimes shoot at 3 in the morning because their deaths are so unpredictable.

This project effected Schels postively in that he is not afraid of dead bodies anymore, (like not being able to see his mother after she died) or the fear of death. He has learned to value his time left in this world and not take it for granted like everyone does. The negative effects on Schels was meeting people and getting to know them and then shooting their dead bodies, it was very depressing.

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2. How has the creation of this artistic exhibit changed the artist? How did viewing it change you?
Schels says, he is no longer afraid of the dead or dying. He has come to terms with it after shooting the project. He also understands how to lend a hand to a dying friend and how it feels to be in that situation. "...It has changed the way [he] feels about living."
The exhibit changed feelings I have about death. I saw so many people regretting the way they lived, saying things like "It is as though I am being rejected by life itself." Which make me want to take full advantage of the life i have, so that when I die I will be at peace and accept death because my life has been so full. I want to do the things I enjoy in life so I am happy and not spend my entire life working. Like Morrie says, create my own culture, that I am happy.


3. Do you think this exhibit is art? Why/why not?

According to dictionary.com art is "the principles or methods governing any craft or branch of learning." In which case definitely proves this exhibit is a form of art. When I look at these pictures and read about their lives I admire the story in their eyes and in their words. It teaches me about death, dying and what is to come. So, to me this is art at its finest, broadening horizons and testing the boundaries. Art is suppose to show you beauty and a different perspective; in this exhibit i see the beauty of life and the perspective of a dying person. They're looking back on life and wishing they'd done things differently.

4. Which of the photo pairs do you find the most poignant? Explain.

Gerda Strech, the 68-year-old woman that couldn't believe cancer was cheating her out of retirement. This photo is most poignant to me because in the first photo she looks so unhappy and angry. Then in the second photo her eyes are closed and she looks so peaceful and calm. She complains about working her entire life and now when she gets to enjoy her retirement she finds out that she is going to die. This serves as a great lesson for me. I don't want to wait until retirement to enjoy life, I want to enjoy it now and be in the moment.

5. Which of the subjects' words did you find the most striking? Explain.

Rita Schoffler, I thought that her want for love in her last days was beautiful. It's interesting how when we are faced with death our true selves appear. I saw this throughout the exhibit but it was the strongest in Rita's case. She was divorced for 17 years and realized how much she missed and loved him; thats what we truly are, love. I just hope that this exhibit and words like the words of Rita can influence the youth to stop and enjoy life more often.

1. Explain the benefits and downsides of the subject Walter Schels has chosen to study. How does it effect him both positively and negatively?
I think the subject that Walter Shcels has chosen to study might be hard to see how people suffer and what pain they go through before they die but when he returns to take the photo of when they have passed away the people look more at peace with everything and that is a positive effect.

2. How has the creation of this artistic exhibit changed the artist? How did viewing it change you?
This has changed him by no longer being terrified of dead bodies, and he is not frightened of the future. He continues to have notice that believers and non-believers alike showed the same fear of the unknown that waits for them. It makes me realize that I shouldn’t be scared of death when my time is here I should just allow it to happen and not try to fight it. The people that were taken pictures of look so peaceful and the pictures of them before death they look sad and lonesome. I don’t want that to happen, I rather just accept death whenever it comes.

3. Do you think this exhibit is art? Why/why not?
I think it is, I believe art is different to all people. I believe art is something that opens up a person eyes and makes them think about what they are looking at. This exhibit definitely does that. It makes me think about the photos and opens my eyes about death.

4. Which of the photo pairs do you find the most poignant? Explain.
Elly Genthe photos definitely stood out the most because she look so angry, upset and it looked like she was yelling in her photo. Then there is the photo of when she died and she looked fine and content.

5. Which of the subjects' words did you find the most striking? Explain.
Rita Schoffler “I shouldn’t have waited nearly so long to forgive and forget. I’m still fond of him despite everything.” For weeks, all she’d wanted to do was die. But, she said, “now I’d love to be able to participate in life one last time…” I never want to die with regrets or with anger.

1. Explain the benefits and downsides of the subject Walter Schels has chosen to study. How does it affect him both positively and negatively? The benefits could be to show dying is not the scary process most people see it as. The downside would be that the idea of photographs of dead bodies might be repulsive and disgusting to some, or that the families might feel uncomfortable seeing the body of their dead loved one in a public exhibit. Working with the dying made him examine his own life and how he views death.
2. How has the creation of this artistic exhibit changed the artist? How did viewing it change you? Schels says he had to face one of his biggest fears head on to start this project. He and his partner both learned to make the most of the time they have left to spend on earth, since they saw how lonely, bitter, or hardened some of the dying had become. It made me not want to view death as a few of the subjects did, but rather as Morrie did.

3. Do you think this exhibit is art? Why/why not? Yes, I think it’s art. While the subjects might not be very conventional, the portraits of their living and dead selves are still beautiful and wonderfully composed photographs.

4. Which of the photo pairs do you find the most poignant? Explain. The pictures that strike me with the visual difference between life and death are the ones of Klara Behrens. In the first one, her eyes are so alive – light reflects of them in every angle and life radiates out from amid a deeply wrinkled face. In the second, she could almost be sleeping except there’s something you can’t really put your finger on that tells otherwise. Maybe it’s her mouth.

5. Which of the subjects' words did you find the most striking? Explain. I found Heiner Schmitz’s description of how his friends reacted to his impending death to be slightly funny but also enormously sad. His friends don’t want to accept that he is near death, so they buy him beer and cigarettes, and tell him he will get better soon. None of them ask how he feels, only that they hope he will be back to his old self soon.

1.Explain the benefits and downsides of the subject Walter Schels has chosen to study. How does it affect him both positively and negatively?
I think Walter Schels idea of photographing dying people before and after death is very innovative. Some people may be afraid of viewing the pictures as they are afraid of accepting death but personally I think it is helpful seeing these photographs. You see pain in the eyes of the dying and once they are dead the look at peace.

2. How has the creation of this artistic exhibit changed the artist? How did viewing it change you?
The artist finds it wrong that death is so hidden from society and this was almost like therapy for him as he knows that his death will also be approaching sooner than later. The images didn’t affect me very much. Maybe it’s because you only see their faces; I think it would have influenced me more if you could see the hospital beds and machines and sounds and smells.

3. Do you think this exhibit is art? Why/why not?
I definitely view these images as art because Mr. Schels professionally took these images as a photographer to make a statement and did it with respect for the dead and their loved ones.

4. Which of the photo pairs do you find the most poignant? Explain.
Photos 13/14 were the most poignant to me personally. The older women’s eyes looked like she was screaming because she was trapped in this body with illness. In the photograph after her death she seemed at peace and her features look happier than the image before.

5. Which of the subjects' words did you find the most striking? Explain.
Roswitha Pachollecks words touched me the most. She explained that she had found happiness in her last days “I enjoy every day that I’m still here. Before this my life wasn’t a happy one” It seems impossible to find joy in what would be the most depressing moments of life. It seems from other people’s responses that when they look back at their lives they are able to find peace with what they have accomplished during their life.

1. Explain the benefits and downsides of the subject Walter Schels has chosen to study. How does it effect him both positively and negatively?
Walter Schels gets the benefit that most don't have of being able to accept and deal with deal. He sees it all the time and it has made him less intimidated by death. The down side of his studying is that he meets and looses a lot of people. He just starts getting familiar with people and then they die. That might be hard on him to have people in and out of his life so often.
2. How has the creation of this artistic exhibit changed the artist? How did viewing it change you?
He is no longer afraid of dead bodies. I mean, of course he isn't gonna be completely cool with it, but he has learned that dying is natural and sometimes a lot easier than living for a person in constant pain. He can see the pictures after he even takes them and he is affected by his own work. He sees their faces in agony before death and then he sees them peaceful and dead. I have never seen so many dead people and it is definitly a little nerve-racking. It makes me a little uncomfortable to see the dead faces after the faces that were so alive in the previous photo.
3. Do you think this exhibit is art? Why/why not?
I think that photography in general is usually art so yes, this is art. It's a little creepy, but some could also call it unique. I think that art is just a new way of seeing something. This guy obviously takes the view of death to a new level so I believe that this qualifies as art.
4. Which of the photo pairs do you find the most poignant? Explain.
I think the Beate Taube pictures are the most poignant. Its interesting to see how young and alive he looks and then to see him completely different and skinny and bald. I like how he is looking straight into the camera in the first picture because it makes it feel like he is looking right out of the screen.
5. Which of the subjects' words did you find the most striking? Explain
"Death is nothing,” says Maria. “I embrace death. It is not eternal. Afterwards, when we meet God, we become beautiful. We are only called back to earth if we are still attached to another human being in the final seconds”
This quote by Maria Hai-Anh Tuyet Cao is very beautiful. I like the way she views her impending death and even looks forward to her future haven. For someone so close to death, she is more positive than many that are alive and well.