At Home With Death with Mike Belleme
Recorded on Thursday, July 9th, at 7 pm ET
In an open and unfolding conversation Mike Belleme discussed his ongoing project, At Home With Death which takes an intimate and deeply relational look at family and loss through the life and death of Kate Oberlin. During the first phase of the project, Mike created images on the Oberlin’s homestead in Hickory, NC. after vulnerable conversations with the Oberlin’s as Kate was dying of cancer. In a rare act of collaborative intimacy, Mike makes images inspired by her words, in particular, “I see Death as beautiful potential”. In making the work, Mike aimed to share the philosophy that guided the unorthodox death rituals and home funeral of the Oberlins.
This week will explore what it means to practice photography as a powerful medium of relationship, where collaborative images embrace the deep emotions of both the photographer and subject.
Mike Belleme is a freelance photographer based in Asheville, North Carolina. His work ranges from long-form documentary, to assignment based editorial, photo journalism and portraiture. His practice involves photographing from a space of emotional availability and vulnerability and exploring themes involving connection and disconnection from that space. Belleme is a regular contributor to The New York Times and other clients include National Geographic, Time Magazine, Rolling Stone, New York Times Magazine, Google, Esquire, Outside Magazine, Fortune, Propublica and NPR.
