Not to be confused with an “All Ages Show,”  this exhibit is a ten-year retrospective of Ed Snyder’s Cemetery Statuary Photography.

Exhibit runs the entire month of December, 2009 (daily, 7 a.m. – 9 p.m.)

Philadelphia Java Company, 518 South Fourth Street (near South St.), Philadelphia, PA   (215) 928-1811

Matted framed images for sale by contacting artist: mourningarts@yahoo.com

Opening Reception Friday, Feb. 15, 6 – 8 pm.
http://saintasaphs.org/Current_Exhibit.html

Ed Snyder is having a show of his photography at St. Asaph Gallery, Feb. 17 – Mar. 16 2008. Twenty images spanning his 10-year study of cemetery statuary will be on display. The exhibit merges art and photography with society’s desire to come to terms with death and dying. Oh, and there will be wine and snacks to lighten things up a bit.

St. Asaph church, attached to the gallery, is sort of a miniature gothic cathedral, complete with gargoyles and Tiffany stained glass windows! It’s located one block off City Avenue, near Belmont Avenue in Philadelphia. Please see their website for directions: http://saintasaphs.org/Contacts.html

You can now buy products with Celestial Angel (to the left) and Cemetery (featured in Death Depicted in Cemetery Symbolism – Part 2).Mugshots CoffeeHouse & Cafe
110 Cotton Street. Philadelphia, PA 19127
Just off Main Street in Manayunk
Phone: 215.482.3964
Check their website for hours and directions

Also, I’ll have two pieces in a show at Laurel Hill Cemetery from Sept. 9 – 30 including the piece to the left. In conjunction with Laurel Hill’s Spoon River reenactment (see below), the cemetery will host an exhibit of “Cemetery and Death-Related Art” in its gatehouse gallery. I’ve seen some of this – wow, and I thought I was odd…! You can also see other cemetery artifacts there. Laurel Hill is really an amazing place.

Check out Laurel Hill’s new website for hours and directions.

Fringe Festival Performance – The Late Laureates of Laurel Hill (Cemetery)

Spoon River is a book of fictitious epitaphs written by Edgar Lee Masters in 1915. Written as if the dead citizens of a Midwestern town are speaking from the grave, it has been adapted for theatre in the past–occasionally with a musical score added. As part of the 2006 Philly Fringe Live Arts Festival, a twilight reading of Spoon River will take place in Philadelphia’s Laurel Hill Cemetery. See the Fringe Festival website for details.

Artist Statement

“Cemetery and Penitentiary Photography” was the working title of this show. The actual title of the show became “Confinement in Solitude.” In this article I’m going to explain how I came up with that title. Here’s my Artist’s Statement for the show:

“Confinement in Solitude”

These words, used to describe Eastern State Penitentiary’s philosophy toward criminals, eerily parallel that of a cemetery. ESP’s original idea that freedom (from criminal behavior) could be achieved through confinement was less than successful. Isn’t everything about the tension between freedom and confinement? Cemetery angels vividly portray this–creatures of flight, frozen in stone.

I’d long been a fan of urban decay-beauty in detritus. Perhaps one reason I enjoy photographing old cemeteries and Eastern State Penitentiary is this oppressive attraction they both possess. But how to connect the two? Coming up with an Artist’s Statement is considerably more difficult than coming up with a title for an individual piece of artwork. I would rather eat bees than do either. Such contemplative writing requires more soul-searching, I believe, than the actual creation of the art itself. So much of the creative process is feeling, rather than overt planning. Like the artist N.C. Wyeth said, in order to create a successful piece of artwork, you must have an emotional connection with the subject. Agreed, but how do you put that into words?

I don’t particularly care for writing about my work because I feel I expose more of myself with words and I risk assigning specific meaning to my work. I’d rather leave it to individuals to find their own meaning in the art. For instance, if I took a picture of a pork chop, hung it in a gallery, and labeled it “Pork Chop,” most people wouldn’t look twice it at. They’d think, “Yep, that’s a pork chop alright.” On the other hand, if the same photograph were untitled, people might think that metaphorically, I’m commenting on the carnivorous nature of man, or space and the passage of time. Subconsciously, I might be. You get the idea.

So even though labels are for jelly jars, I am expected to come up with titles and Artist Statements. So how to make them relevant without giving away the farm? In analyzing the connection between angels and prisons, I gave up early on obvious titles, e.g. “Angels and Devils” (while there were angels in my photographs, the devils were only implied); “God’s Servants and Satan’s Minions” (a bit harsh on the shoplifters and other petty criminals who occupied Eastern State); or “Angels and Penitents.” That last one had promise.

Crime and Punishment in the Victorian Age

When the prison opened in 1829, its founders believed that solitude would “make the criminal regretful and penitent” (hence the new word Penitentiary added to our language). Legislation specifying “separate or solitary confinement at labor” was passed. This correctional theory, as practiced in Philadelphia, became known as the Pennsylvania System, and it became world-famous.

In 1913, The Pennsylvania System of confinement with solitude was abandoned at Eastern State. The system had actually broken down decades earlier, prompted by Charles Dickens’ criticism of the philosophy. He visited the United States in 1842 to see Niagara Falls and Eastern State Penitentiary–two wonders of the Victorian world. He later wrote, “The System is rigid, strict and hopeless solitary confinement, and I believe it, in its effects, to be cruel and wrong…”

So Eastern State’s original concept of freedom (from criminal behavior) through confinement, failed. Stone walls, like stone wings, fail to ascend the arc to freedom.

Death and Mourning in the Victorian Age

Founded in the Victorian 1830s, both Eastern State Penitentiary and the great garden cemeteries like Laurel Hill (Philadelphia) speak volumes about American societal beliefs and norms at the time. Both are examples of our attempt to come to terms with the undesirable realities of death and crime–we confine them both in solitude. We reward them with burial and imprisonment, respectively –”interment” vs. “internment.” Both Eastern State and Laurel Hill were architectural wonders created in a rural setting–Philadelphia had not yet grown to reach them. Penitence and mourning practices both reached stellar proportions in that era (when a family member died, the official mourning period usually lasted a year, during which time ritualistic wearing of black clothing was observed), as did the epic flourish of angels and other ornate cemetery statuary.

Funny how the words interment and internment get confused. Interment is burial; internment is simply imprisonment. If you had asked the inmates at Eastern State to compare their confinement in solitude with that of those interred at Laurel Hill, they may not have thought the difference appreciable. They may have felt like the stone angels–or as T.E. Lawrence would say, “the living knew themselves just sentient puppets on God’s stage.” To me, cemetery angels vividly portray the tension between freedom and confinement that inmates at Eastern State must have felt. This tension between freedom and confinement–isn’t that what life is all about?

Cemetery and Penitentiary Photography
by Ed Snyder
July 3 – 31, 2006
Mugshots CoffeeHouse
21st & Fairmount Avenue
Philadelphia, PA 19130
(267) 514-7145

See website for hours:
www.mugshotscoffeehouse.com

Mugshots CoffeeHouse in the Fairmount section of Philadelphia will be hosting a show of Ed’s work.

As Mugshots is right across the street from the notorious Eastern State Penitentiary, Ed will beexhibiting images from his ESP portfolio, in addition to his angel and cemetery photography. And you thought the cemetery photography was creepy…

All work will be for sale.

Photographic Society of Philadelphia

I’ve been making photographic images in cemeteries since 1999, and it has become my primary artistic interest. I’ve also worked mainly in black and white, though I’ve begun to branch out into color and digital, partly due to my involvement as a member of the Photographic Society of Philadelphia. One of the challenges of being a member is the monthly assignment theme show – for instance, April’s theme is ‘humor’. Each month the results are displayed at Joe’s Coffee Bar at 11th and Walnut Streets in Philadelphia.

Cemeteries in Color

It takes but a modicum of intelligence to realize that cemetery photography doesn’t lend itself well to such themes as Humor and Spring – cemeteries are dark, foreboding places, right? I don’t photograph puppies romping through fields of tulips, so the assignments are sizeable challenges for me.

But are cemeteries really that somber? Some are, sure. But garden cemeteries were created with the idea that cemeteries could be a nice place to visit, to walk, and enjoy the scenery and beautiful sculptures. Many garden cemeteries in the U.S. are arboreal wonders, so it’s difficult to avoid photographing gorgeous crimson azaleas or flowering pink dogwoods. Springtime can be rather breathtaking in a garden cemetery. When photographing splendor, however, its much more effective to use just a splash of color rather than allowing the bushware to take over the image. It creates a more balanced composition.

See for instance, the bronze patina sculpture of the seated woman from West Laurel Hill Cemetery in Philadelphia. The spare azaleas frame the statue and complement the greens in the image in a very balanced manner. The flowers add a comforting familiarity to the statue while maintaining the mysteriousness of the statue and its setting. Another useful tool for controlling color is to use a polarizing filter to make your skies bluer. Would the “Dogwood” photograph have the same impact if the sky were cloudy white? Probably not, which is why I plan my photographic outings in part on the weather and time of day. (See 11 Tips for Taking Pictures in a Cemetery for more on this topic.)

For a great book on color photography, check out Camera Craft: Landscapes.

Cemeteries in Black and White

Color photography is typically what comes to mind if you’re thinking about springtime, right? But for those who prefer black and white over color, capturing the essence of spring can present all sorts of creative challenges. Black and white images, as a rule, have to stand on their own since they don’t have color to help define the image for the viewer.

Monochrome images are an abstract impression of what our eyes see. In fact that may be why I prefer black to white to colo r. It allows me the flexibility of letting the viewer define a photograph on his/her own terms (which may also be the reason I dislike titling my work-titles in large part define).

The image “Sprouts” (to the left) is an example of a somewhat abstract image. You can see what is there (grass and tombstones), but the angle suggests a grave vantage point (pun intended). The scene is more than a snapshot – it represents new growth against a backdrop of death. The glow around the buds adds to this effect and was made possible by a front-lit sun at dawn. Monochrome, more so than color, also forces you to pay more attention to such things as white space and the juxtaposition of random and orderly shapes, all of which can make or break a composition.

For a great book on black and white photography, check out Black & White (Camera Craft)

Hand Colored Black and White

For another effect, you can blend color and monochrome. Check out the cemetery bunnies to the left and you’ll see what I mean. Around Easter, people in Philadelphia will post kitschy three-foot-high bunnies in the ground near the burial place of their loved ones. The photograph was originally made on black and white film. I hand-colored the clothes and hats with photo dyes to reproduce the original colors. I then scanned the photograph to create the digital image you see here. You can also do this in PhotoShop. The whole thing is very labor-intensive, but that’s a story for another day!

These are good resources for hand coloring photographs:

Software: Adobe Photoshop CS2

Book: The Art of Handpainting Photographs

Website: www.atplayphotography.com

Conclusion

Spring is a time of renewal. I hope this article gave you some new ideas to use in your photographic meanderings. While some images work best in black and white, others work best in color. The images of the dogwood-covered mausoleums and the azalea statue, for instance, would have much less impact without the splash of flower color. In my opinion the “Sprouts” image of the freshly grown new grasses against the tombstone backdrop would appear trite if it were done in color. But you might find an entirely new way of expressing this scene in color, one that would cause VanGogh to bow in homage. Its up to you as a photographer to visualize how the image would appear in both color and black and white, then decide which, for you, makes the best composition.

Check out more photography tips at PhotographerCoach.com.

There are lots of restaurants, theatres, and music clubs in the area. The weather should be getting warmer by April 7, so walking from place to place should be comfortable enough. Though many are cold, few are frozen.

My last show (January 2006 at InFusion in Mt. Airy) had a marvelous turnout, mostly thanks to the support and presence of all of you. I am humbled and grateful to those who, in the past, have found meaning in my work.

Here are the details:

“CEMETERY PHOTOGRAPHY” by Ed Snyder, at Big Jar Books. First Friday reception April 7. Show runs April 7-30. 55 N. 2nd St . Phila., 215/574-1650.

HeartRide is a recent digital print of something I shot back when the earth’s crust was still cooling, probably on high-speed Ektachrome at a carnival. Nothing compares with slide film for zero exposure latitude!

NYHearts is a storefront I shot in New York’s East Village in December 2005. I had the digital SLR and shot at 1600 ISO. Then, I Photoshopped the living hell out of it to make it warm and fuzzy!

Come see these and other work put up by members of the Philadelphia Photographic Society!

Joe’s Coffee Bar
1100 Walnut Street
Philadelphia, PA 19107
215-592-7384

Surrounded by innercity-ness, the large, yet quaint garden cemetery was punctuated by police cruisers and groundskeepers. Not atypical to find a cop or mailman lunching in a boneyard, but the sheer quantity of the cop cars at Holy Sepulchre was unusual. As was the angel with the baby brontosaurus.

A groundskeeper with a weedwhacker, working in the cemetery, stopped me and said “Don’t lose sight of your car.” One on a riding mower cut his engine and came over to me saying: “You know, I was held up at gunpoint here last year while on my mower …” Hence, the cop cars. I think I was near this stone couple at the time. As an aside, when people see this image, they sometimes ask, “Where is there a statue of Stalin next to Washington?”

As I walked around shooting the necrotecture, the chief caretaker rolled up in his pickup and wanted to know my business. After I explained, he was ok with my shooting, but added: “These damn film crews from New York come in here to make movies…they run around knocking over tombstones.” Over the years, I’ve learned that people who work in cemeteries often have a favorite statue. It usually pays to ask them.

The images accompanying this text were captured on that day (in 2001) and remain some of my favorites. I’ve continued to feed my morbid fascination at other cemeteries around the country, but few images match the intensity of The Bishop or the eeriness of “Floating Angel.”

To add substance to this article, I Googled the cemetery and found it to be in Essex County, oddly nicknamed “Bishop’s Cemetery.” Go figure. Must be more to the story, but that’s where I run out of talent.

She presents the stages we may go through upon learning of a loss:

1. DENIAL – This cannot be happening! My father was FINE last week!
2. ANGER – Bastards! Doctors! I’ll sue them! What did he do to deserve this? He worked like a dog all his life, and for …this?!
3. BARGAINING – If I could just see him one last time…
4. DEPRESSION – He’s gone….what does anything matter now?
5. ACCEPTANCE – It’s been a year now and … life goes on.

Grief is a reaction to significant loss. There is no right or wrong way to do it. Identifying the stages and giving them names is a tried and true method of attaining a sense of control in a particular situation. While this is important, I would submit to you that we rearrange the steps a bit and place ACCEPTANCE at the top. Maybe for some of us this would minimize or even eliminate the other feelings. This could help us handle death in a more rational manner.

Why do you take pictures of cemetery statuary?

As I’ve been doing cemetery photography for about 8 years, I recently began to contemplate this question. People have asked my why I do it, and I’ve never been able to answer the question in a nice tidy manner. Not being a terribly introspective person, I simply thought it was because I liked the images I created-some beautiful, some grim, some even macabre. The fact that others find meaning in my work is an unexpected gift.

However, the question remains– why do I do it? The creative process of photography has always helped me deal with the world, with personal issues, and even to judge myself. In retrospect, psychiatry would’ve been cheaper. However, I believe that spending time in cemeteries, creating art, meeting people in the business, etc. has helped me ACCEPT the idea of death as a less abstract concept.

You’re Gonna Make Me Lonesome When You Go

In his song of the same name, Bob Dylan expresses our basic feeling of loss, after all Kubler-Ross’ gingerbread is trimmed off. We’ll miss the person, and the loss may even create a massive hardship, but after a time the past always has a way of being, well, past. Preparing yourself before the actual event takes place helps you deal with the event more effectively. This is true no matter what the event is-an exam in school, a public speaking engagement, settlement on a house, and yes, even death.

In the Victorian era, people were not only well prepared for death, but they continued to officially mourn for a year! Women would were all black. Men might wear a ring with an enclosed lock of the deceased’s hair. Even today, Hebrews go to synagogue every Friday for a year when a loved one dies. Humans take comfort in ritual, and are made anxious by change. The book, Mourning Art & Jewelry, fully documents this aspect of our psyches.

Garden Cemeteries – d’raison d’etre
For the uninitiated, garden cemeteries are essentially outdoor sculpture gardens, conceived in Europe in the Victorian era to try and dispel some of the fear and bleakness associated with death and dying. People nowadays typically don’t venture into a cemetery unless they have to. For me, I believe that spending time in cemeteries has helped me to prepare myself for the loss of loved ones. So, will any cemetery do? And what do I do while I’m there?

What is There to Do in a Cemetery?
To begin with, you don’t have to be religious, although there certainly are Hebrew, Asian, Catholic, and Nondenominational cemeteries to visit. Usually, you don’t have to explain to anyone why you’re there. They don’t charge admission (unless you decide to become a permanent resident).You may want to spend some time poking around by yourself, or go with a group. Larger (and especially historical) cemeteries often have tours. Examples are Laurel Hill Cemetery in Philadelphia and Mount Auburn Cemetery in Cambridge (near Boston), Massachusetts.

Visit their websites, perhaps something will spark your interest. Go for an hour every few months. Visit different cemeteries. Talk with the people in the front office if you feel brave enough. Ask the gardeners what their favorite monuments are. See if there are any famous people buried there. Whatever you decide to do in the cemetery, the key is to do it now. With experience, you’ll begin to accept your own and others’ mortality. At that point you will be more capable of accepting the mystery and inevitability of death.