I’ve often thought it’s unfortunate that people only think about death when they think of a mortuary or cemetery. Why not think about life…a place where life is celebrated in all its beauty? I’ve spent the last 9 years as a Funeral Celebrant and can attest to the power of a place that honors life, my thought is, let’s not just go to a mortuary in the wake of death, let’s also go in and enjoy life.
Several years ago I attended an art show held in an old mausoleum…in the middle of a cemetery…at NIGHT! It sounds a little spooky, but I was intrigued by the dichotomy of the idea. Here I was, viewing works of art by fellow artists, celebrating the beauty they saw around them; while just a hundred yards away was the site where the previous year, as a Funeral Celebrant, I had helped a family lay their teenage son to rest.
Since I’ve begun inviting people to my spring art show I’ve been getting a lot of this look: furrowed brow, pursed lips, eyes partially closed, head tilted down a little, perhaps slowly twisting side to side. Their look says it all, “Uh, what? An art show in a mortuary? . . . Sounds spooky.”
What can I say? I’m an artist, a writer, a storyteller; I’m always looking for the contrast that makes a story…an image…a life…unique. I find great similarity and contrast in the two fields in which I work: writing funerals and painting on canvases.Granted there are some people who would rather attend a funeral than enter an art museum or local gallery, but as we ask the question, “What do death and art have to do with one another?” I’d like you to consider these beautiful works of art: The Funeral Mask of King Tut, The Pieta – perhaps the world’s most famous sculpture depicting the Virgin Mary holding the body of Jesus Christ after his death. Picasso’s Guernica showing the tragedies of war, At Eternity’s Gate by van Gogh, painted two months before his death, or Frida Kahlo’s self-portrait, Thinking About Death.
When I meet with a family in preparation for a funeral I listen intently as they tell me the many stories about their loved one and I begin painting a picture in my mind’s eye of what this person was like. Similarly, when I’m looking for artistic inspiration, I’ve found that I’m visually listening to the story around me and contemplating how I will bring meaning to it.
Whether I am creating a eulogy or a painting, my process is very much the same. Upon returning to my office or studio I sit with a blank sheet of paper or blank canvas before me and reflect. Then, the creative process begins. Setting my fingers to the keyboard or my hand to the brush I engage the skills I have learned as a writer and artist to create a picture with words or create an image with paint. Each medium tells a story in it’s own unique way.
As you can see, my path as a Funeral Celebrant and my path as an Artist are parallel in many ways. They are fundamental in my life journey for I could not do one without the other. On the occasions when the two paths cross the experience deeply nurtures my spirit.
On a trip to Paris a few years ago, I visited Père Lachaise, one of the most famous cemeteries in the world and the final resting place for more than one million people. Painters, sculptors, poets, authors, singers, musicians, composers and actors are buried among some of the world’s greatest names in science, politics and history. The cemetery is listed as one of the top 20 Parisian sites with 1.5 million visitors a year. It’s not a morbid attraction but rather an opportunity to pay homage to some of the greatest talent in this world (Oscar Wilde anyone?) while strolling among the most artistic tombs you will find anywhere.
While you won’t see any of the above-mentioned masterpieces on display at my show, I’m thrilled to introduce my paintings in a setting where I work as a Funeral Celebrant. I hope you will join me and the staff of O’Connor Mortuary as I present my spring art show “Two Paths – One Journey” on Thursday, April 3.
Click here for more info & click here to RSVP.
I promise you, it will be one of the most enjoyable times you have spent at a mortuary…and, I probably don’t need to remind you, but it’s not likely to be your last visit either ; )
|| what do you think?
– Do you express yourself creatively? What mediums do you use & what does it bring to you?
– How do you see art bringing life and death together?
– Will you be gracing us with your presence at the Art Show? I would love to meet you, hope to see you there.
31 Comments
Ty,
What an interesting perception you have with the connection between art and death. I, myself, enjoy the arts very much so and have written papers in the past based on works of Frida Kahlo, Picasso and Van Gogh. I find that I best express my creativity through art. I do not draw or write as much as I do but have found photography as a great medium. I have a previous commitment so I will not be making the art show but I wish you the best.
Ty,
I look forward to the art show, art is full of emotion and so is the experience of losing a loved one so I can see the parallel. I too have been to the cemetery in Paris and most of my photo’s taken were taken there specifically, I have attached one that was a favorite of mine. The work put in to some of those graves and mausoleums is just breathtaking and I can remember some of the most emotionally riveting ones like it was yesterday even though it has been three years. Thank you for sharing your story, see you at the show!
Jennifer
Hello Ty,
It is fascinating to have an insight into your creative process. I would never have imagined the similarity that you described between the two. I am so thankful for our friendship that began this past year. Thank you for the incredible value you bring to the ceremony and the effect and impact it has upon the family, launching them into their grief journey in such a healthy way.
Blessings upon you,
Jeff
Thank you, Ty! Although I work here at O’Connor Mortuary, I have not yet had the opportunity to experience a celebrant service. I have heard so many good things and hope to attend one very soon. Your explanation of how your work and your art relate is particularly meaningful and shows again just how much art is a reflection of life, not something separate. And I really look forward to viewing your artworks next month!
Hello Ty,
We have only met once, but you left quite an impression on me. Thank you for coming to speak with the staff here at O’Connor. I am Patricia Kolstad’s daughter and Michael Thomas’ mother, and we as a family could not appreciate Celebrant’s more. I am so thankful to have you here and working so closely with our Mortuary. I am looking forward to learning more about you and enjoying you’re “other” work. God bless you and what you bring to the masses!!
kari