Gold: Deathwork
In the United States today, death is taboo. Despite its ever impending nature, this stage of life has become something hidden, with longer life spans and a shift away from aging in place; there is more distance from death than ever before. However, for some, staring into the eyes of mortality is a daily reality. From remembering those who have passed on, those in their final phases of life or those working in the industries that intersect and are formed around death, “Deathwork” engages with the labor of these practices, seeking to stop and confront this inevitability through the eyes of those who constantly do.
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Christopher Capilongo operates the cremator, using a broom to shift a burning body inside January 24, 2025 in Fairfax, Virginia. The cremator requires consistent attention and it is important the order in which bodies are burned. Starting with larger individuals first prevents the machine from overheating and requires less energy for the following bodies. Carewell can typically cremate up to five to seven people in a day, depending on the size of each person.
