Lifeline,  2008. Photography

‘Lifeline’ portrays the objects and environment around my father at the time of his terminal illness, shortly before he died. The images capture the short journey he took from his bed to the sofa and vice-versa. The theme is related to life and death, survival and surrender. 

He suffered from emphysema, a chronic, irreversible disease of the lungs.This reduced his lung capacity and he needed to use an oxygen cylinder daily to breathe. The oxygen tube, appearing in each photo, is what kept him alive, representing the short line between life and death. His illness limited his ability to move around the home and he couldn't go outside at all. 

The window is symbolic to the project. As my father could not go out, he spent his last five years indoors and he would often stand looking out of the window. 

Also, due to a previous illness of throat cancer, two years before he was diagnosed with emphysema, he had had his voice box removed and could not speak. Instead he would write down what he wanted to say. 

This body was been shown as part of an interactive installation. The idea was to sit in the armchair, look at the pictures and read the note book for the full experience.