For photographer Joel-Peter Witkin, death is an inevitable “big door” that must be embraced through humble and purposeful expression. This project explores the concept of disgust, traditionally a physiological defense mechanism used to avoid harmful substances. By utilizing animal fragments—sourced from both the food industry and medical studies—the work challenges the boundary between the “edible” and the “repulsive.”
The core objective is to manipulate sensory learning. By layering these visceral subjects with visual pleasure, the viewer is granted a window of aesthetic appreciation before the underlying “disgusting” reality sets in. This delay forces a reflection on how daily representations shape our perception of reality.
Drawing heavy inspiration from 18th-century still-life masters such as Jan Baptist Weenix, Willem Kalf, and Jean-Siméon Chardin, the project adopts their:
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Chromatic palettes
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Classical compositions
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Hunting motifs
These historical elements provide a pictorial quality to the images, transforming raw, decaying matter into a profound dialogue on life, death, and the things we take for granted.