Amorphophallus titanum (2017)

“…In Crump’s visual world, seduction and decay lie close to each other. His transparent, dissolving layers focus on the amusing aspect of the aesthetic, offering and providing criticism and the corresponding taste at the same time. ”
— Reclaim Award 2020

The aim of the project was to explore concepts of beauty and mortality in society. Titled after the Latin name for the Corpse Flower; this project mimics the plants’ unsettling effect on the audience. The beautiful flower acts as any other, drawing in an audience to observe its natural beauty. However, once approached, its audience is overcome with the nauseating smell of death. These images aim to recreate this effect visually by, just like the flower, reminding us that even the beautiful die. By relating faint, partial images of the models on top of themselves, Amorphophallus titanum explores the idea of our decaying physicality and self-image after death. By photographing this phenomenon, this project aims to both immortalise and destroy the image of the model to recreate our conflicting internalised process of death.