This set of photos from Melisa made me wonder, how would someone who died in 1886 feel about body modification and the way people choose (and are relatively free) to express themselves these days? It’s probably a rather pointless question as we’ll never know, at least not in my lifetime anyway.
Also, I’ve often thought how amazing it would to be thrown into a time totally alien to you, or to know how it feels to see a light bulb/Wii for the first time in your life! One thing I think is lacking these days is the joy of discovery, you can basically go through your entire life not having to really work anything out for yourself. Even employment comes with an instruction manual, that’s not necessarily a bad thing but there are limits..
If you need to do something invariably you will buy a product that will do it for you, if you can’t fathom out how to use what you’ve bought there are instructions, it’s all handed to us on a plate and it makes me a little sad.
Anyway sorry for rambling, my point is I’m sure people from the past would have much less trouble adapting to life in 2008 than we would if we were whisked to the 1980′s, even. We’ve got it pretty good, eh.
By Lisa Avilla (pictured after the break, on the left), Studio 13, Salinas, CA.
Comments
96 responses to “Graveyard Corsetry”
foxy as fuck!
i hope when im dead naked Modified girlies bend over my gravestone 😛
8]~~~~~
I’m really not a fan of the whole graveyard thing because it’s just weird in my mind but the last picture is so hot I can barely comprehend it.
i like the idea of the photo. if it were me or my loved ones that were buried and photographed for the world to see, i bet we would be proud to celebrate the natural beauty of the human body.
more so i like the comment after. some of us learn in books some learn by doing. i happen to be from the generation that opens it, tries it and reads the instructions later. if i were shot into the future 30 years from now (if i am still alive)when organic information storage has been invented i suppose i would do the same. try to figure out how it works, use it and the details i couldn’t figure out i would look up.
I find these a bit prosaic, really.
@ kat777. “seriously, do people still visit the graves of someone who died in 1870 something?”
Me. I do. 1870 was not a long time ago.
bob’s your uncle – I never read instructions, it’s much more fun that way!
What’s a matter with you ?
I wasn’t warned “nudity” was disrespectful.
People saying “They’re dead, they can’t care!” are ridiculous, does this mean it’s not disrespectful to put your fingers up to a blind person? I mean, they can’t see, why should they care?
Oy, touchy subject.
A few years ago, I had no one close to me actually buried, so I’m sure my opinion would have been different.
But because I know how a tombstone can represent the loved one, this is most certainly disrespectful. Tombstones are often adorned with flowers, notes, teddy bears… anything that might relate to the deceased. Most of the time they are immaculately cared for simply because the tombstone IS the deceased… its what is left to mark the life they’ve lived.
So I don’t think its about disrespect for the dead, but rather disrespect for the living. I would be upset if I saw my friend’s grave marker used in this way. Personally, it’s almost comparable to slander towards the deceased.
OH
I wanted to say though, also, that the woman is beautiful, the corsets are amazing and the photographer did a great job.
The fact that it is in a cemetery has nothing to do with quality, so I’ll give em that, for sure.
I find this horrible
My father died 7 years ago, if I saw someone posing over his final resting place, and place of rememberance for his family and me Id phone the police
I love body modification, but posing over somebodys grave is disgusting
Imagine if the relatives came to visit the grave, and saw a naked woman having pictures taken over the grave.
Or if somebody was being burried in that graveyard on that day, and had to see what that woman was doing, how would they feel? whilst mourning thier relatives or friends.
So anyone who says “Well thier dead, they cant feel anything” FUCK YOU, thier relatives can still feel the pain of that persons death, Id fucking know. And so would a friend of mine, who is also deeply disgusted, both of her parents have died, how would she feel if she saw this girl posing over her parents final resting place?
Think about it
no truth in her statement, at least for me.
oh that was roos rambling, well that makes more sense.
This is disgusing, I’m sure the person in this grave deserves more respect than to find someone taking pictures over it.
It’s disrespectful.
oh please people, it’s just a graveyard. It’s a beautiful place. It’s not disrespectful to get naked and take awesome pictures. I wouldn’t care if she was standing on a grave of one of my family members, I’d want to see the pictures! My dad, both grandpas, a grandma, and 3 uncles are all dead and buried. And it’s not like they’re hanging around a graveyard when there’s all of the afterlife to entertain them! They’re more likely to see what’s happening in your bedroom than in some random outdoor place where their mortal body is rotting. The stone is not them, they are in your heart and your memories. Don’t put so much feeling into an inanimate object like a headstone.
If it’s such a pointless, inanimate object why is she there?!
She’s a lovely girl, but I still think that graveyard poses are tacky, ill-conceived, and cliched as hell. You can “LOL dead people don’t care” all you want, but graveyards aren’t for the dead. They’re for the living, as a place to memorialize and show respect for the deceased. They are meant to be places of quiet reflection for the living.
Surely there were at least a dozen better locations for this photo. Not just because it’s tasteless and disrespectful, but also because every hack since Poe thinks that hanging out in cemeteries is edgy and unique.
That’s the nicest bum I’ve seen in ages
Maybe this is her way of communing and paying respects to those that she has lost…. If you don’t like it and it’s not hurting anyone, don’t look and get over yourselves. If she were straddling a fresh grave and being overtly disrespectful to the interred or their families I’m sure I would feel a little different. But she’s not. She’s beautiful in a beautiful setting, and I’d guess just by looking at the composition of the photos that they gave at least a cursory glance around to make sure not to disturb the living.
very gorgeous, lil odd about the grave yard though. dont know how i feel about that yet but whateve
ass……the other white meat
lucky deaders got all the good veiws.
your ramblings are interesting, but I feel inclined to point out that the wii being a fairly recent invention I, and a great number of other people know what its like to see one for the first time 🙂
Rich – Haha, good point! Although I was thinking more along the lines of never having seen something powered by electricity, with moving images, that sort of thing.
I’d probably wet myself.
‘But really graveyards should be places people can express themselves, more than anywhere. Again I’m saying this personally but I certainly don’t think they should be treated as hallowed ground.’
This is a typical kneejerk comment that makes no sense at all. Why should you express yourself artistically or sexually in a graveyard? You don’t think they should be TREATED as hallowed ground? They ARE hallowed ground!
Why doesn’t she stick a dildo up there, call it porn and be done with it, everyone associated with this picture should be ashamed.
Sarah – I was a little tired (and sick) when I wrote that, not that I’m backpedaling but what I meant was that I don’t think graveyards should be thought of as a place where only mourning takes place.
It’s the reason I don’t want to be buried, I want people to feel happy when they think of me and not feel they should visit my graveside and leave flowers. I was raised Christian and remember how strange I felt visiting passed relatives. If I’d have seen the girl above I would have been a bit confused (at any age), but I certainly would be mad at her, and as a few people have said I’m sure they made sure there was nobody about that would be offended.
americans…. 🙁
I wish some pretty (hot ?) girl will pose nude next my graveyard.
There’s definitly something wrong in your vision of life (I duno understand how people living in a so big country are so little minded).
to another person in another culture or era this could be considered immoral. but, none of us can speak for them. if it offends you, you have the right to voice your opinion. however you can’t change anyone elses.
imagine, in 30 years nudity could be legal anywhere and everywhere for anyone to photograph….
i have irish heritage and when a loved one passes on we celebrate their life by getting stupid drunk.
Gazberzu
ha ha not everyone is so closed minded.
there is no “the dead”
there is only you and you’re finite.
its all dirt and stones, dance where you wish, especially when you’re a sexy, pierced bitch!
I see everyones point, I understand your anger/concern, but personally… call me cold, like the dead, but I don’t really care.
Maybe I’m desensitized to every single thing… maybe it’s just my family…
My grandfather told our family to have a party when he dies. Not to spend money on stupid shit like coffins or gravestones… spend it on booze. He also told me, that if my family gets all sentimental on him after he can’t do anything about it… That I better have sex on his gravestone, just so someone can make some use out of it.
I guess it’s just my family. My friends dream when he dies is to be cremated, then be pressed into a dildo.
sorry if I offended anyone, but yeah. touchy subject. Also just because I would have sex on my grandfathers grave,(if he gets one) doesnt mean I disrespect the dead or would do it on someone elses grave. I really enjoy graveyards for the quiet atmosphere, go by myself and read, or lay down and watch stars.
so if I was fucking a chick on my grandfathers gravestone(by his wish)… would I be respecting him… but disrespecting others?
what if the family with a relatives grave next to my grandfathers happened to come by during this? would they be disrespecting me and my grandfathers wishes? or would I be disrespecting them?
I don’t think anyones gonna be in my favor… I better make my grandfather write it down in his will… just so I have something for the cops. I don’t disrespect the dead, so how could I go against my grandfathers wishs?
Maybe you think I’m poking fun at a touchy subject… but my grandfathers wish is true.
Gross… I think posing naked in pubic is great, I think body mods are awesome… But this is just disrespectful. I’d go on a rant but everything I’d be ranting about has already been said
Well this picture is sexy… and quite frankly, I think cemeteries are there solely for those who are left behind. My thought is that if there is any kind of after life, the part of the person who would care if sexy naked people were taking pictures on their grave is probably long gone. But that’s just me 🙂
meli is an amazing young lady and by no means meant to offend anyone, hell she didnt even pick the site for the photos. disrespectful or not all i can say is i was honored to have helped with this whole event and commend her. the piercings and pictures turned out great and SHE above all people envolved had an amazing experience.
I wish people wouldn’t wait until others were dead to champion respecting them. Seems like a lot of respect should be given to one another as living beings as well…which during our lifetimes is sorely missing on a daily basis.
After you die, that respect is pretty moot and a bit too late.
what I’m curious to know is this.
For all those that are saying its not disrespectful…How many of them are even religious/spiritual in faith and actually practice it?
I wouldn’t be surprised if many are non-practicing within the religious aspect…and to that, sure you have a right to state your opinion, however your view is biased on the fact that you do not associate yourself in any way to practicing religion,etc.
I agree with you HereKittyKitty, but that’s mostly because I tend to respect an individuals life, while they live as well as when they die….or at least I do my best to do so in both cases….But that’s just me personally, as you said not everyone thinks that way.
bevelsNbreakdwns: That’s the thing I believe…She didn’t feel it was disrespectful,etc because chances are it was not fully thought out…Perhaps it was more of a: “I got a great idea! lets do this corset and get you naked in a cemetery! THAT’D BE HOT!” and then everyone confirmed and whammo photoshoot is done. Not saying it was the girls fault or even the photographer, because perhaps they don’t VIEW cemeteries in the same way as others…So I don’t think they’re evil incarnate…I just think of it as being a bit of a “bad choice” made. *shrugs*
I dont know someone might have already said it, but if I was going to put flowers on my mothers headstone and saw some naked chick on it, i would flip.
I wasn’t going to say anything, but HereKittyKitty just put it perfectly.
I’ve tried really hard, but I just can’t find anything offensive about a naked woman. Therefore, I am completely unable to be offended by pictures of one in a graveyard.
The “respect for the dead” line is just a bullshit knee-jerk reaction; one of those lines that people throw around without ever analysing why they’re saying it.
Oh, Warren, you have things completely the wrong way round when you say this:
“… your view is biased on the fact that you do not associate yourself in any way to practicing religion.”
It makes far more sense to suggest that practising theists are the ones who are biased. A dead body in the ground has no intrinsic meaning; it is assigned a subjective meaning due to cultural conditioning.
I think it’s a beautiful photo set, and as far as the (evolved) question of how someone about this woman walking naked on their grave would feel: if it were my grandfathers, they’d be happier than the easter bunny. On the other hand, if I saw this lady on said grandfathers’ graves, she’d catch a hurtin because to me, it has less to do with respect for the dead, and more to do with respect for those living who might be visiting the dead.
was that too many commas?
But a tree-lined avenue, or a motel bedroom, aren’t more apt to do your usual job ? Do you think to get more money in a cemetery ?
I know each person has their favorite features and preferences, but this, to me is absolutely stunning. I find tattoo’s attractive as with piercings and other creativity but the corset weave sends those same feelings to my head of the first kiss or the first lay. That endorphin fueled rush that makes your skin flush. And that’s just seeing it in pictures. Mabye someday I can convince the wife… if only for a day.
Everybody has the right to feel the way they do, whether you agree or disagree with these pics…
I myself am a Christian and lost my father 5 years ago, but these pics don’t offend me at all, I think they were very nicely done, very artistic and in good taste as long as they did not offend anybody at the other graves. But I do believe they would have made sure of privacy before they did the shoot.
So from my point of view very nicely done. I can understand though that other people can have objections about it.
nothing here is disrespectful! dead people people dont care! but when I die please someone, do a naked photoshoot on my grave.
Gorgeous girl. Amazing photographs.
I don’t think its even mildly wrong to embrace the beauty of a graveyard as long as no ones harming anything and being fully respectful of the dead and any visiting loved ones to the graves, then its entirely acceptable.
In fact most graveyards are often sad and lonely and you see people mourning loved ones more often than you think to embrace a cemetary as enjoying the beauty of life.
She’s not harming the site in any way she’s simply standing there posing for a beautiful picture. We come into this world naked, sometimes we die naked as well. Nudity isn’t the worst thing in the world. Again its finding the beauty in life while you have it and appreciating lifetimes of the ones passed.
although the girl in the pic wasn’t meaning any disrespect – I’d have
to say that it still manages to be disrespecful. I mean it’s a graveyard,
not a studio. One of many reasons why I want to be cremated!
Cheers,The Doctor ; )