Andres Serrano (1950) - The Morgue - 1993

Andres Serrano (born August 15, 1950) is an American photographer and artist. His work, often considered transgressive art, includes photos of corpses and uses feces and bodily fluids. His Piss Christ (1987) is an amber-tinged photograph of a crucifix submerged in a glass container of what was purported to be the artist's own urine. He also created the artwork for the heavy metal band Metallica's Load and Reload albums.

Collected by a major museum:
Museum of Modern Art (MoMA)
Whitney Museum of American Art
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles (MOCA)
Museo Reina Sofia
Art Institute of Chicago
MCA ChicagoICA Miami

Exploring The Morgue Series by Andres Serrano

It is the world of modern art that few names stir as much anger and interest as Andres Serrano does. Esteemed for his daring to plunge into forbidden topics, Serrano’s artworks question the status quo and go beyond the borders of artistic creativity. One of his most outstanding undertakings is “The Morgue Series“, a group of pictures that confront the audience with the starkness of death. In this article, we will talk about the life and career of Andres Serrano; the ideas and consequences of the Morgue Series; and revealed the fascinating stories behind the images that make us shiver.

Andres Serrano, the famous American artist known for his hard-hitting and provocative photography was born on August 15, 1950, in New York City. Serrano was born into a devoutly Catholic household, and his upbringing played a significant role in shaping his artistic expression, with his art frequently exhibiting religious, sexual, and self-identity themes. He won a wide audience and often saw his unconventional materials and subjects criticized for challenging social taboos, and it was his pushing the limits of art that made him famous.

His Career
Serrano’s career started to blossom in the 1980s when he was able to exhibit his photographs in galleries and museums. It all started with his rebellious work entitled “Immersion (Piss Christ)” that showed a crucifix submerged in urine. This art piece spawned a huge controversy on the issue of freedom of expression, religious feelings, and the role of the government funding in the art.

During his lifetime Serrano expanded his topics by showing controversial issues like violence, death and social inequality. Emotional responses are often the outcome of his art, thus, prompting viewers to face discomforting truths and review their worldviews.


In the “Morgue Series,” which Serrano produced in 1992, he explores the dark territory of death and mortality, presenting raw and real pictures of bodies found in a morgue. Serrano’s photographs force viewers to recognize the unavoidable nature of death and confront the entire community’s paradigms about mortality and the human body.

Controversial Reception: Much like Serrano’s other works, The Morgue Series sparked intense debate and controversy upon its release. Critics and viewers alike grappled with the confronting nature of the images, questioning the ethics of capturing and displaying photographs of deceased individuals.

Technical Mastery: Despite the unsettling subject matter, The Morgue Series showcases Serrano’s technical prowess as a photographer. Each image is carefully composed and lit, highlighting the delicate balance between aesthetics and morbid reality.

Exploring Taboos: Serrano’s exploration of death and mortality challenges societal taboos surrounding the human body and the concept of mortality. By confronting viewers with images of death in a raw and unfiltered manner, Serrano encourages contemplation on the fragility and transience of life.

Legacy and Influence: Despite the controversy surrounding his work, Serrano’s contributions to the art world are undeniable. The Morgue Series continues to captivate audiences and provoke critical discourse on the intersection of art, mortality, and ethics.

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