The photographer obsessed with matters of life and death
- Text by Biju Belinky
- Photography by Nick Meyer
Nick Meyer is afraid of dying. But unlike most of us, instead of trying to numb that fear away, only dealing with it when forced to during a 3AM existential crisis, he decided to face it head on. That’s how Either Limits or Contradictions came about – as a study on life and death in photographic form.
Of course, the cycle of existence means something different to everyone. While some might take solace in religion and the knowledge of a higher power, others find comfort in humanity, the side that says that the meaning of life is in the experiences you have and the people around you.
Nick’s approach seems to lean towards the latter – not looking to reach a particular finite conclusion or explanation, but using images of his close friends and family to offer an emotional insight into his experiences of loss and new beginnings.
Maisie (Striped Shirt)
Divided into three chapters, the book is a collection of personal images collected over the years, going from the fast pace of youth, through to a period of observation and attentiveness, until it reaches a mature analysis on what it means to be alive, and in consequence, to die.
As a conclusion to his foreword, Nick says: “I made these pictures as a reminder that things pass. That I will pass and you will pass, a tree will fall and the sun will set, and then it will happen again. It is a memorial of a life being lived. A meditation on pacing and prose and letting things unfold. These pictures are a means of facing our truths and accepting our fate.”
Alexis on a Round Bed
Emily’s Trailer (Be a Friend)
Will with Mud on His Feet
Lightning
Elaine with Leaves in Her Hair
White Dog in a Red Car
Alexis Taking a Picture
Cats
Anna’s New Tattoo (Live or Die)
Either Limits or Contradictions is out now, published by Daylight Books.
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