The 110 acres of the North Burial Ground are islanded between North Main and Branch Avenue; the length of the Northwest side of the graveyard runs along Route 95 North. At the intersection of North Main and Branch, the Southeast tip of the graveyard juts out into a major thoroughfare of traffic, stop lights and access to highway on-ramps. With major access roads to 95 and Route 146, as well as streets that head to the East Side, Pawtucket and downtown Providence, the North Burial Ground is surrounded by an endless stream of commuting car traffic. Since graveyards are purposed for isolated and tragic occasions, any exploration of the grounds for reasons other than the unhappy occurrence of a private funeral inverts a basic understanding. Confined by traffic and morbidity, it is no wonder people usually pass by it without a second thought. Cryptic Providence “hopes to create new ideas, perspectives and images about our relationship to death, dying and burial customs” as well as “bring increased visitation and use of the cemetery by highlighting the historical and cultural resources of North Burial Ground.”
Agenda operatives raised the shade of Jay Critchley in a midnight séance to ask him a few questions about his eerie installation.
What do you see as some of the common ways that Americans address concepts of death, and why should we reinvent the wheel if it seems to be working so well?
Death does have a way of working well. It's a tried and true wheel, but why not have fun with it? Has anyone really figured out what death—or sex—is really about? Culturally we treat both in extreme forms: titillating and obsessive about sex; violent and distant about death. Where are all the images of dead soldiers and civilians from the Iraq war? Death becomes a concept.
Why did you choose the North Burial Ground for this project? When was the moment you knew that it was the location to bring various types of artists together under a common theme?
I discovered the North Burial Ground when I was an artist in residence at AS220. I was exploring the underground, the underbelly, of the city. Providence DIRT Newsreel produced a series of short black and white, voice-over, fictitious newsreels, and one was set in the mausoleum. I was overwhelmed by the abandoned structure—a “holding tomb”—which used to house up to 200 bodies in the winter, bodies in waiting for the ground to thaw. The NBG is the oldest surviving historic site in the city, from 1700, and it's a public graveyard. The famous, infamous and the unknown are buried there. And Tom D'Amore, who runs it, was amazingly receptive and enthusiastic about opening up this public park to the community.
How has collaboration been a feature in this work? Who had to work together to make it happen?
Tom was invaluable, and he helped locate the car through Dan Ziobrowsk. Peter St. Lawrence at R & P Construction towed the Chevy from Johnston for free! Lynn McCormack from the City and Bert Crenca from AS220 were very supportive, along with Wanda Miglus from the Rhode Island Foundation, which funded the project. Robert O. Jones, the project's historic consultant, conducted two tours of the cemetery for potential artists, and then I had conversations with artists about their ideas and the practicality of the execution. We received 40 applications from across the country, and Tom and I selected 14 artists and teams. The artists were eager to create original work—which was a requirement for such a unique site—and received a very small stipend. No plop art accepted!
As gas prices soar, there is a simple interpretation of why an artist would bury a car. You are, in effect, burying a concept, not an individual. In your own words, what was your intention? What was the process? Was there ceremony behind it? Who helped you? How have people responded to this work?
My first pieces as a “born again” artist in the early 1980s were a series of “sand cars” in the waterfront parking lots in Provincetown. My work has been ecological from the beginning, dealing with nuclear issues, petroleum, overconsumption, corporate dominance. HIV, the rainforests, energy, and the fear and paranoia generated by the government. I fabricated a mummified model Jeep 25 years ago, ready for the right time and place to fully execute it. The mausoleum was screaming for such a piece—this faux Greek temple is a gift! Adam Ryder, a photographer who has installed exhibitions at RISD and other places, assisted me over a two week period. His help and skill was crucial to the success of the piece. I think “Final Passage” raises the issue of the future of the automobile as we know it. The 1965 Chevy Impala is as iconic an American car as you can find—The American Dream machine. Mummification is about preparing for the journey into the afterlife. What is the afterlife of the car? What is the afterlife of our civilization?
In a sense, all art is ceremony/ritual. My research about Egyptian mummification revealed that there were many forms that evolved over the centuries. I have ideas for other mummified car pieces with different emphasis on ceremony, process and treatments. Stay tuned!
Does Cryptic Providence offer a nod to the city's past; its relationship with the dark and foreboding writing of Poe or Lovecraft, for instance, or its secretive link to the American Revolution? Is there something about Providence that is "cryptic", and what are some of the ways that this "crypticism" has manifested, either in the past or presently?
Actually, one of the unedited videos from the newsreel series was about Lovecraft, and was partially filmed in the mausoleum. The word cryptic implies both a crypt—something hidden, underground, a burial chamber, while cryptic means something secretive, mysterious. The dark side of Colonial and post-Colonial history positions Rhode Island at the center of the slave trade, and the "beneficence" of Roger Williams is questionable, with his characterization of the land grab from the Native Americans as being “purchased by love. ”
This show is up for the duration of the summer and closes at the end of September: what are some of the events to look forward to?
The cemetery is open daily from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. There is a free map of the installation sites as well as a self-guided historic tour created by Robert O. Jones, and the GPS/virtual website. And one closing event, a mother-daughter collaboration:
Saturday the 27th of September, noon to 6:00 p.m., Nancy Austin & Caroline Woolard, Footnotes: A Tribute to Albert J. Jones at his Gravesite (1821-1887), the forgotten founder of Rhode Island's first “Art Museum.”
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— rachel · Oct 2, 09:53 PM · #