The images for the Black Run story were shown on the metalphoric theatre – one of the Korean ‘machines’ that underpinned ‘Dawn Breaks’ at the Showroom Gallery.
I stood alongside telling the story of my dad’s expertise at living. Initially I had my back to the audience – I wanted them to experience the speed of a Black Run, race-skiing down a mountain. When my dad had ‘skied’ to the bottom of the mountain, I stood out front to face and ‘talk’ to his life-size image. We agreed skiing was a good metaphor for his good death.
Lots of people wanted to know how I managed to do this: didn’t I find it upsetting? But I know my dad had a good death – as good as his life.
So, actually, I had a great time ‘talking’ to my dad. After all, I don’t get to talk to my dad as often as I’d like to any more!
The words I said in this section of the multimedia performance are here. Check out the stories and images from after this – of how my dad did some Deathbed Skiing (2), then about the Cycle of Life as my dad took his last breath (3), and I then washed his body (4).