Dead Memories
Stories of grief and loss by art photographer Amber Franks.
Armstrong in his South London studio.
Credit: Amber Franks
The ‘Dead Memories’ project portrays how artists use art to cope with loss and death.
Invited to take part in the project as both a subject and contributor Armstrong shared two days with Amber talking about life, art and his experiences surrounding grief after the loss of his parents. First starting in Chiswick where he grew up, then at his studio in south London. Ambers photography documented these meetings which will form part of her book on grief accompanied by a piece of his art.
Armstrong’s studio and photograph of his late father.
Credit: Amber Franks
Amber say’s all our stories are different, our ways of remembering people and times gone by. What we keep or hold sacred. Are they objects or spaces? She believes we all leave behind icons of who we are - found objects and documents left by those lost become more sacred than anything else. Passport photos, food recipes, random objects kept on their bedside tables, to-do lists, old voicemails and music collections all reverberate and keep an essence of them alive.
Artwork
College of Armstrong’s late parents
Sketch pad showing Armstrong’s late father on his death bed & Oleg Popov the famous Russian clown.
