Tow #23 "No Seconds"

The picture depicted above is the last meal of Ted Bundy, a serial murderer who was charged for brutally killing more than 36 young women and sentenced to death by the electric chair. The picture is a part of a series by Henry Hargreaves called "No Seconds". From the food down to the cutlery and tablecloth, Hargreaves recreates the last meal requests of 9 of America's most notorious death-row inmates. By using the medium of photography and the juxtaposition of the pictures, Hargreaves portrays the serial killers in a different light and humanizes them through the common denominator of food.

Hargreaves states that the main goal of his "No Seconds" series was for the audience to think of the death row inmates as people for a moment instead of being anonymous. The effect of using photography as his medium instead of painting or sketching is important to the purpose of his work. In addition each of the pieces of food and silverware in the photograph are arranged exactly like they were for the inmates the day before their execution. The use of a camera makes the food very real and tangible to the audience. Anyone could be sitting in front of the same meal. By choosing to photograph the food, Hargreaves forms a connection between the viewer and the inmate. In a way, instead of judging the prisoners' crimes, he humanizes the inmates by giving the viewer a subtle glimpse of their personalities and character through their food choices. 

In addition to the medium used in his series, the juxtaposition of the food is also crucial for Hargreaves' impact on the audience. In all of the photographs, the food on the plates look very organized and are arranged in an appealing manner that contrasts with the background. Also, Hargreaves arranges the photos in a way so that the audience appears to be directly looking down at the food, as if it is sitting right in front of them ready to be served. By giving the viewers the inmates' perspective, for moment, Hargreaves forces us to step into their shoes.