PSN ID
by Camera Obscura: Freaky, Frightening Cameras of the Dead
Photography is more than simply freezing a moment in time. It’s
about examining the world around us, figuring out how we fit into it,
and making our own mark. That’s precisely what photographer/artist Wayne Martin Belger
aims to do with his rather unusual pinhole cameras. He doesn’t simply
make an observation on film; he interacts with the world in an entirely
unique way.
In Southeast Asian culture, Yama is the god of death. It’s said that
he was the first human to die, and that he then became the steward and
the judge of the dead, seeing the very essence of every soul. It is
fitting, then, that this camera made by Belger “sees” in 3D, with a thin
membrane creating two separate cameras. The Yama camera uses a
500-year-old Tibetan skull adorned with various gems and precious metals
to observe the modern world. The artist intends the camera to be used
for two photo series: one about modern incarnations of Asian deities and
one exploring the refugee cities of India.
The Third Eye camera is made from a 150-year-old skull that used to
belong to a 13-year-old girl. The artist created a third eye in the
skull, and this is where light enters the chamber to make photographs.
The photos themselves (one of which can be seen at the very top, in the
center) are stark, foggy, and discolored, almost as if they are the
actual memories of the skull’s former occupant. Some people are
horrified at Belger’s work, some intrigued. But it’s safe to say that
there are no other cameras exactly like these anywhere in the world.
Photography is more than simply freezing a moment in time. It’s
about examining the world around us, figuring out how we fit into it,
and making our own mark. That’s precisely what photographer/artist Wayne Martin Belger
aims to do with his rather unusual pinhole cameras. He doesn’t simply
make an observation on film; he interacts with the world in an entirely
unique way.
In Southeast Asian culture, Yama is the god of death. It’s said that
he was the first human to die, and that he then became the steward and
the judge of the dead, seeing the very essence of every soul. It is
fitting, then, that this camera made by Belger “sees” in 3D, with a thin
membrane creating two separate cameras. The Yama camera uses a
500-year-old Tibetan skull adorned with various gems and precious metals
to observe the modern world. The artist intends the camera to be used
for two photo series: one about modern incarnations of Asian deities and
one exploring the refugee cities of India.
The Third Eye camera is made from a 150-year-old skull that used to
belong to a 13-year-old girl. The artist created a third eye in the
skull, and this is where light enters the chamber to make photographs.
The photos themselves (one of which can be seen at the very top, in the
center) are stark, foggy, and discolored, almost as if they are the
actual memories of the skull’s former occupant. Some people are
horrified at Belger’s work, some intrigued. But it’s safe to say that
there are no other cameras exactly like these anywhere in the world.
