Reference and Reverence: An Exhibition of Photographic Works

Reference and Reverence is a two-year long photographic project on the emerging trend of ecological burial in the United States. The body of work is a photo-based documentary that considers natural burial as an alternative to standard funeral practices. My thesis project is in book form as well as an exhibition installation. The work addresses green burial’s newfound re-emergence as well as the examination of visual culture regarding death, dying, and funeral practices. In an era of environmental concern, the importance of planet stewardship and modern industrial burial practices are questioned. The reflection is one of re-visiting death as tradition, as well as one of contemplating our co-existence with the world.