Morgan Roué sent us his series Sur les rives du Styx which he presents as follows.
Since the dawn of time, death has always been part of human daily life. Taking different forms depending on the era and the place, Funeral rites were essentially the domain of the home and the family. The rise of modern medicine has helped push death further off in time, but it has also displaced it in space. This paradigm shift means that today the majority of our fellow citizens die in a healthcare facility.
In just a few generations, what had been passed down since the beginning has become a vanishing art. Yet modern-day Charons continue to steer their boats, to places their contemporaries no longer venture.
These caregivers, who live alongside death every day, are the ones I wanted to bring into the light. In our modern society, they symbolize a continuum: that of care. Post-mortem washing, removal of medical devices, embalming care, dressing, makeup, placing in the coffin. So many gestures, often unsuspected, before presenting the deceased to grieving families.
Unlike other indispensable professions, that of mortuary staff has often remained in the shadows. Even though a certain modesty surrounds the funeral world, it is paradoxical that, in our era, the world surrounding death is rendered invisible, while other subjects once considered more sensitive centuries ago are now discussed more freely.
Through this photographic series, I try to shed light on a little-known side of care in France, through the daily lives of these caregivers of the shadows. Out of respect for the deceased and their families, I chose a restrained, sober rendering, with the aim of helping shift attitudes about this final stage of life.
Morgan Roué
Many similarities draw a close parallel between photography and medicine: precision of gestures, technical reflection, and freedom of practice. After all, some still regard medicine as an art. This dual role as a healthcare professional and an independent photographer allows me to remain true to my convictions. In search of a certain form of authenticity, analogue photography emerged as the perfect medium. Since then, I have modestly sought to convey, through images, my vision of my surroundings and of my travels sometimes tinged with a sense of the dreamlike, yet always with a concern for a sober and raw aesthetic.
Morgan Roué
www.morgan-roué.com
