Reflections: Animal Kingdom Pet Cemetery

Animal Kingdom Pet Cemetery, 2011. Image: Nicholas Fenell

In effort to understand the cemetery and its function to the fullest, I have spent the year visiting cemeteries across the north eastern Ohio region. Recently, I visited a pet cemetery (Animal Kingdom Pet Cemetery) in Mayfield Heights, Ohio. It was very interesting to see the differences in objects left in memory of the deceased. Many graves are very well attended, with plenty of flowers, statuaries, and personal notes/ mementos. The graves date back to 1946, with plenty of land for expansion. Some families buried their pets in a style similar to the family plot with a headstone bearing the last name and markers for each pet/ family member around the family headstone. The variety of pets was far reaching including dog, cat, rabbit, and horse. No matter the species, each marker paid enormous respect to the deceased.

Animal Kingdom Pet Cemetery, 2011. Image: Nicholas Fenell

Calvary Cemetery 2011

This past summer has been spent exploring many of the cemeteries in north eastern Ohio. In particular, points of interest include the area where the cemetery and the world of the living are in the same frame and the varied types of cemeteries and their respect purposes, markers, and layout.

In addition, I have been extremely busy interning at The Sculpture Center in Cleveland, Ohio for the past four months and will continue on through October. November and December will be dominated by studio time, so expect frequent updates and countless works on my formal website.

Currently I await approval for a permanent installation to be inside of the East Cleveland Township Cemetery. I will announce the verdict when it is released.

New work added to Unknown Certainty

Click here to see a new Unknown Certainty.

This ongoing series has granted me the ability to have a studio practice while volunteering countless hours as an intern at The Sculpture Center in Cleveland, Ohio and working full-time at a nearby Starbucks.

Look forward to seeing a series of paintings in November and December, as I will be taking some time away from the internship to further my studio time and practice.

Introducing Formal Website

Good evening. There is now a formal website for viewing the installations and sculpture of Nicholas Fenell.

Do not fret though. Nicholas has every intent on keeping this blog up to date and to continue to show process and share readings through this blog.

Unknown Certainty (ongoing installations) Image Set 2

Note: Nicholas Fenell did not partake in the graffiti seen in above images. Rather, objects were placed in relation to the space and the text of the graffiti.

Unknown Certainty (ongoing installations) Image Set 1

Images of selected completed Unknown Certainty installations. 2011.