My name is Laura Tedeschi, I am a graphic designer and illustrator and I confess to having iPhone albums full of gravestone images.
Cemeteries have always held a special place in my heart. As the child of four generations of cemetery caretakers in Hebronville Mass, I spent many happy hours in an early New England cemetery. I loved the stories the stones told, the peacefulness of the grounds. For years, an idea has been floating around in my mind - like a ghost! What if we added color to these solemn gravestone designs? How would the art transform in vibrant hues? Could it breathe life into the somber, gray stones, and perhaps offer a glimpse into the spirits and lives of those resting beneath?
In the fall of 2018, I completed a one-week Artist-In-Residency at Trail Wood, in Hampton, Connecticut working on observational nature illustrations. While there, I visited the North Hampton Cemetery to see the grave of Edwin and Nellie Teale that provided the spark of inspiration. I was drawn to the old part of the cemetery and was struck by the primitive and exuberant carvings on the oldest headstones. I had never noticed this style before! Wow!
I began to research the stones and the stones carvers. To my astonishment, I discovered a there is a community of enthusiasts celebrating old burying grounds and the work of these carvers. Many of the carver’s styles are quite specific to our part of New England, some originating here in eastern Connecticut. The soul effigies offered a stark contrast to the imagery of "death's head" skulls, grim reapers, and coffins seen in colonial Massachusetts.
Where did this style spring from? The fact that New Englanders chose these designs to commemorate their loved ones continues to fascinate me. The Manning family of carvers, for example, clearly possessed remarkable carving skills, yet they repeatedly sculpted wild-haired "souls" that were extremely popular, inspiring other carvers to copy their work.
I have explored connections between these designs and ancient and primitive art forms from around the world. Oceanic, Aztec, and African art share the same visual language to define the human face. These styles naturally developed and shared common forms - rounded eyes, curled, waving stylized hair, concentric circles.
Colors from native and Meso-American art have been particularly inspiring in creating these pieces. In looking at more realistic and portrait styles of carvings, I let the image “speak” to me on what colors should be used in their reinterpretation. To achieve bright colors, some of Afterlife pieces were painted in acrylic, but most are created using pastels. The texture of the paper and the crumbliness of the chalks is evocative of weathered gravestone surfaces.
It is important to clarify that I do not view these pieces as solely my own work. The foundation for these creations lies in the imagination of the talented, often self-taught stone carvers who toiled with their hands through harsh New England winters to craft these memorials. My intent is to evoke the spirits of the individuals memorialized and breathe fresh life into their remembrance. I hope that you, too, will find this “collaborative work” intriguing.