Quiet chronicles

There is a certain curiosity that comes when walking through a cemetery. Most often, a visitor’s questions remain unanswered.

But for Valley photographer and ASU professor Dick George, "cemeteries tell stories."

According to George, the best stories come from rural cemeteries, repositories that are rich in folkloric tradition and culture.

Drawn to the isolated, George has visited approximately 400 cemeteries throughout the Southwest, capturing the spiritual essence of grave markers. The headstones are what he calls the "defining characteristics of the traditional cemetery."

Sixty-one images are included in Descanse in Paz: The Art of Handmade Grave Markers in the Southwest, on exhibit at Mesa Southwest Museum. George’s beautifully rendered black-and-white prints highlight the infinite variation in form, size, and surface detail of these folk-art objects.

From simple wooden crosses and ceramic sculptures to elaborately adorned graves strewn with flowers, candles and personal mementos, the markers function as memorials to the dearly departed.

Unlike modern American cemeteries, where rows of commercially manufactured markers lack individuality and character, the grave markers in George’s photographs embody an energy and spirit unique to the largely Latino communities who created them.

The process of making a grave marker is an intensely creative and personal ritual, with each incorporating a variety of materials or personal belongings. As relics of the past, the photos further serve as a visual reminder of a fragile cultural practice and folk art tradition that is fading.

George hopes museum visitors will linger to take in his photos. In fact, the exhibition replicates a cemetery setting, welcoming visitors to a meditative space to reflect and contemplate en paz.

"This is a very emotional subject. Every one of my photographs is a result of a personal and artistic investment. I would like them to come and spend time with it, be quiet, and instead of looking at it as foreign, realize the universality of it. I hope they slow down and consider their own lives."

‘Descanse en Paz: The Art of Handmade Grave Markers in the Southwest’
APRIL 15–SEPT. 17
Mesa Southwest Museum
53 N. Macdonald, Mesa
Hours: Tues.–Sat. 10 a.m.–5 p.m., Sundays 1 p.m.–5 p.m.,
Closed Mondays. Visit
www.cityofmesa.org/swmuseum/
or call (480) 644-2230.