The idea of the suitcase highlights the transition through life, like the journey from one place to another, but this one has no set destination. Linked with the different avenues we have through life and a transition into the another one whether in this realm or another. Awaiting transition highlights the personal opinion that the secret of death will only be given to me the day a die. People find it hard to talk about death, and Moody highlights of how talking about death brings it home to us about our own, conjuring up images of one’s own dismiss of life.

Analogy is another way we associate and live with the idea of death. One common analogy is the comparison of death and sleep. The language is also used in today’s contemporary society with “to put one to sleep” which suggests having one’s pet put down or association to being asleep, it seems to be a way of displacing the actual happening of death and giving it a way of acceptance. Another analogy is to put dying in the context of forgetting, suggesting that the person’s woes and negative memories have been obliterated.

Awaiting transition is a life long project that started in December 2006, the intention is to continually pack a bag every time i feel that something has happened within my life that has altered my perceptions or personal intentions. they may also be packed when major life changes also take place in my life. so far there has only been one, i think this also highlights how i feel that i will only ever know the secret when i will die and before that time i am only left to wonder with imagination what may happen after death.

Reflection

It has been with personal reflection on awaiting transition that i have come to remember when i was around the age of 6 i continuously packed a suitcase every night before bed, folding neatly the clothes i would like to take with me and the precious items that had a significance in my life. in the morning my mum would enter the bedroom i shared with two of my older sisters and unpack the small bag. i never really knew why i would do this, but looking back on the situation i was scared, scared of death, thinking that i could run away and had to be prepared for whatever event could take place during the night. I'm not saying that the suitcase piece has been directly influenced by this event in my life, but maybe subconsciously it has, and maybe still to this day i want to be prepared for the event of death, and knowing that it is something you don't get the option about, i fear to turn my back on it and let it take me without me realising it.

The intention is to store the bags up, as it may take a while to collect a significant number before they are exhibited, and i have also decided to create a video documentation of myself packing the bag and the thoughts of why I feel it is time to pack another.