Trauer Cards

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Trauer Cards

Trauer (German for grief) cards, also known as Sterbebilder, were used in Germany in this format in the late 19th century and first half of the 20th century. They are still used today, but they usually do not have the black borders (Trauer Rings) around them that used to be a hallmark of Trauer cards. Instead of using these cards to memorialize a lost loved one as would have originally been done, I have co-opted them to memorialize my memories. I place an image of myself on them and think back to who I was at the time the photograph was made and memorialize who I was at that time. This process allows me to come to terms with who I have been — something that has become all too important in my life now that I have reached my mid 40s — and to accept all permutations of who I was in order to allow myself to have an unclouded view of the possibilities of who I may become. I translate the text into German and give them a worn appearance to make them appear like their originators in order to connect to a sense of timelessness.