Livor Mortis 1
@stphnrttly
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Livor Mortis 1 is a zine a bit smaller than an A5 that contains black and white photography with a focus on skulls and skeletons.
Livor Mortis 1 is a photography zine that opens with a haunting quote about “…the dead, piled high and pressed ‘neath the earth” from lemierre, a deceased Perisian, before leading you into the catacombs of skeletal photography…
Skulls and skeletons are fascinating to a lot of different people for a lot of different reasons. For me, it’s wondering about the human lives once held in and around the bones. Who were they, what was their life like, and how did they end up where they did? In that way, the black and white (as opposed to colour photography) really worked for me, stripping away another layer of identity and thus compounding the sense of never knowing.
The photography itself feels… I think ‘unassuming’ is the best word for it. Photos feature skulls with fully clothed skeletons, slightly mummified remains, skulls piled high in a sort of macabre room decoration. There are no ‘artistic angles’ (I’m not taking a shot at that – I do it myself) nor does it feel like anything was set up as such; the subject matter of the photos is curious and intriguing all on its own.
I didn’t find myself wondering why the photographer took a picture this way or that – I was too busy wondering about the individuals in the photos. When there weren’t so many skulls as to overwhelm the imagination, that is.
I think there is an obvious level to this zine being one that you will likely know already whether you want to check it out. I found it strangely curious in the way writers – especially horror writers – are curious about things.
I will say that if you are curious, do check it out, because there’s more to come in the rest of the series…
Sea Green Zines 