On the 20th of January 2013 Adam and I traveled to Tony and Steven’s farm to collect the Shrouds we had left at the end of Spring late October 2012. They had therefore been there for about 3 months, longer than I usually leave them. This was due to my arrangement for Michal to film their collection and processing today after she returned from the summer break, but unfortunately she could not make it.
The bodies were looking beautifully dried out so collection of the mammal canvases was no problem as the maggots during the wet decomposition phase had gone and beetle infestation during the dry decomposition phase had begun. The bandicoot looked particularly interesting and the cockatoo stunning as expected. This was my first use of the trampoline and the result was amazing as water had pooled on the surface absorbing a rich brown pigment I assume from the tree bark but maybe the bodies contributed. We chatted to Tony afterwards and he discussed the recent fires and their lucky escape.
At home I boiled up more eucalyptus leaves I had collected from the site tree using gas to heat the old copper. After purifying the hare for just a short while I left the possum over night and it achieved a rich brown tinge. I left the cockatoo/bandicoot as it was, just hanging it out to air. As it has not been creased like the others from the dye pot and is larger due to the trampoline space, I am not going to stretch it on a frame, but simply nail it to the wall.
My last shroud will be a large black crow and a tiny coloured finch which I have arranged Michal to film. Although Adam took the bed bases home from the site, we left the trampoline ready for the crow and finch.
Laomedia 