There’s a great article posted to Philly.com today, “A Grave Debate about Headstone Art,” bringing to light a rift in the headstone sculptor community between ‘traditionalists’ and those who are catering to increasing demand for ‘personalization’. And we’re not talking your garden variety of angels here– tombstones are being engraved and sculpted to reflect the deceased’s favorite pastime, his or her strong ethnic identity, and so on. Tacky or progressive? I guess it depends on your view of the purpose of the cemetery.
This fun article had me thinking, though, about the unexplored market of ‘true art’ being used as a grave marking. Gravestone scholar Richard E. Meyer, quoted in the above article, says that headstones were Americans” first form of expressive sculpture, so let’s take that one step further. We’re not talking about baseball etchings by the guy who works at the engraver, which is questionably ‘art’ given the product’s purpose and the artist’s outlook. But what about an art lover who wants his or her headstone to reflect his or her love of the arts? It was common practice for wealthy patrons in early periods to have their caskets (that’s not the right word, but sculptures of themselves sleeping– you know?) pre-made by the finest artists of the day, but how common is that practice today? And would, say, a Jeff Koons, take a headstone commission from a wealthy patron? Would an everyday, religiously affiliated cemetery accept a monumental blue diamond or red balloon dog as a marker?
