Death, Cremation and a Carbon Print...

holmburgers · Dec 17, 2010

I read somewhere that it was customary in a certain time and a certain place, to have a carbon print portrait made from the ashes of the deceased individual.

(if anyone has any resources, please share them)

I'm curious what people think about this. I personally think it's brilliant, and can think of no more noble or respectful way for my earthly body to rest. To spend eternity as a photograph is a beautiful thing to a photographer.

It certainly seems like a prickly issue, but what about you? Would you desire such a fate?

Although I'm young, I'm serious about having such a condition included in my will.

hpulley · Dec 17, 2010

Interesting. How many carbon prints could you make from one "urnfull"? Sounds like a good idea to me.

holmburgers · Dec 17, 2010

A good question; and imagine the pressure on behalf of the printer.

Fortunately, if a bad print was made, it could be redissolved and done over again.

Hexavalent · Dec 17, 2010

I think there is something in the Christopher James book regarding this rather macabre process. Not actually a carbon-transfer print, but a variant of the "dusting-on" process using the ashes. A bit creepy perhaps, but I like the idea - colour would be even better

lxdude · Dec 17, 2010

I wonder. Ashes that I have seen were all whiteish-basically particles and pieces of bone. Maybe in the past less thorough cremation resulted in dark ashes.

holmburgers · Dec 17, 2010

That's an interesting point. Maybe print a negative over a dark background to achieve a positive. Hmm, how does one go about testing such a thing..

Curt · Dec 17, 2010

Give it a try, urn your strips.

2F/2F · Dec 17, 2010

I would be dead. How could I protest?

I did do a photo piece with ashes once. A 16x20 print was cut up into one inch squares and mixed in with the ashes. Visitors to the gallery were invited to take a piece of the puzzle. It was one of three items on a shelf I had built. The first was a framed print. The second was a homemade lightbox with a backlit positive litho. The third was the bowl of ashes with the puzzle pieces.

Vaughn · Dec 17, 2010

But you might eventually end up in a thrift store somewhere...

The photos of the dead were often put on the graves stones -- they were usually carbon prints that used an ash-less gelatin, that was then fired onto ceramic tile for a very permanent image.

Curt · Dec 17, 2010

What's it like to be dead? It's like before I was born.

:wizard:

lxdude · Dec 17, 2010

holmburgers said:
A good question; and imagine the pressure on behalf of the printer.

Fortunately, if a bad print was made, it could be redissolved and done over again.

Sorta like reincarnated.

Wayne · Dec 17, 2010

holmburgers said:
I read somewhere that it was customary in a certain time and a certain place, to have a carbon print portrait made from the ashes of the deceased individual.

(if anyone has any resources, please share them)

I'm curious what people think about this. I personally think it's brilliant, and can think of no more noble or respectful way for my earthly body to rest. To spend eternity as a photograph is a beautiful thing to a photographer.

It certainly seems like a prickly issue, but what about you? Would you desire such a fate?

Although I'm young, I'm serious about having such a condition included in my will.

Those left behind are probably going to be as thrilled by your request as they will by my request just to be left where ever I drop.

Curt · Dec 18, 2010

Is there a place where parts can be sent for a group shot?

Larry Bullis · Dec 18, 2010

holmburgers said:
It certainly seems like a prickly issue, but what about you? Would you desire such a fate?

Although I'm young, I'm serious about having such a condition included in my will.

I've seen a number of these, and they are very beautiful, but I really doubt they were made from cremation ashes. I suspect that they were made using glazes. There is a recipe in Wall and Jordan's _Photographic Facts and Formulas_. As I recall, it is a carbon process using a sticky syrup. The glaze sticks to the sticky and falls off the non sticky. I believe that a transfer would be used - unless there was a screen. The ones I've seen didn't seem to be screened.

There's an artist in Seattle, Charlie Krafft, who will, if you specify it in your will (and pay, I'm sure), make art out of bone china which will be made from your bones. He has a website, and it's worth a look.

I'm trying to decide what should be grown in my composted remains.

eddym · Dec 18, 2010

lxdude said:
Sorta like reincarnated.

Or... wouldn't that be reincarbonated?

lxdude · Dec 18, 2010

Sounds more like it.
Or is that where you come back in a soft drink?

Joe Lipka · Dec 18, 2010

Bill Jay's ashes were made into a carbon print.

TheFlyingCamera · Dec 18, 2010

I have a friend who will make gum bichromate prints using ashes of human remains. I saw a print she did out of her grandfather. I don't know if it had any additional pigment mixed in or not, but it was quite dark.

Jose A Martinez · Dec 18, 2010

TheFlyingCamera said:
I have a friend who will make gum bichromate prints using ashes of human remains. I saw a print she did out of her grandfather. I don't know if it had any additional pigment mixed in or not, but it was quite dark.

Dark because the tone or the mood?

Hexavalent · Dec 18, 2010

I use 'bone black' as a pigment.. so why not!

cowanw · Dec 18, 2010

According to Wiki
Cremated remains are mostly dry calcium phosphates with some minor minerals, such as salts of sodium and potassium. Sulfur and most carbon is driven off as oxidized gases during the process, although a relatively small amount of carbon as carbonate may remain.
Is this suitable for carbon processes?

TheFlyingCamera · Dec 18, 2010

Jose A Martinez said:
Dark because the tone or the mood?

Both. But it was a very dark image, tonally. I'd have to ask her but thinking on it, I suspect there was a good bit of black pigment mixed in.

holmburgers · Dec 20, 2010

Fascinating replies, thanks everyone!

Hexavalent · Dec 20, 2010

A little more on the subject of burning bodies -

It seems that cremation takes place at higher temperatures than those which are used for the production of "bone black" or "bone char" - the carbon is cooked off whereas lower temperature and less oxygen yields the dark pigments we know as bone, ivory, vine - black.
I'm not sure if one can request lower temperature and oxygen deprived cremation (who knows.. possible business opportunity? UGH).

holmburgers · Dec 20, 2010

What about DIY cremation? Oven cleaning cycle?

I suppose I wouldn't be against mixing in some pigment with my ashes.

Death, Cremation and a Carbon Print...

holmburgers

hpulley

holmburgers

Hexavalent

lxdude

holmburgers

Curt

2F/2F

Vaughn

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lxdude

Wayne

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Larry Bullis

eddym

lxdude

Joe Lipka

TheFlyingCamera

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Hexavalent

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Death, Cremation and a Carbon Print...

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