ABOUT

Burying Strangers was a project I started in order to document my day-job for one year (2011). Like many emerging Artists, I've had to spend a massive chunk of my time doing things other than making Art in order to keep up with rent and bills. Over the past 15 years, I've spent more time working at cemeteries than anywhere else. Having grown extremely tired by age 31, and foreseeing that I would definitely need to keep a day-job for at least one more year, I figured out that the only way that I was going to keep my sanity is if I somehow made my job into Art (since I couldn't yet make Art my job). This blog is the online record of that project. I will be publishing a physical record sometime early this year (2012) in the form of a limited edition book/zine.

One year in the day-job, un-art-related life of a broke emerging visual Artist. Enjoy (or don't. I really don't care either way. The important thing is that I'm still alive, fuckers).

Bryan Schnelle
Los Angeles, January 2012

2011

TOTAL BURIALS - 105

(MALE - 50, FEMALE - 55)

AVERAGE AGE AT DEATH - 58.3809524

(MALE - 50.7058824, FEMALE - 64.4363636)

12/30/11

Male, 74

12/29/11

Female, 53

Very emotional. A small crowd stayed and watched us fill.

12/22/11

Male, 57

12/20/11

Male, 73

12/15/11

Male, 32

Coroner's case.

12/12/11

Male, 61

12/5/11

Male, 86

Top of a double. Singing.

12/3/11

Female, 88

Top of a double.

12/2/11

Female, 81

12/2/11

Female, 64

11/22/11

Female, 87

A woman (presumably a daughter) had to be carried away.

Husband died 10 years ago.

11/19/11

Male, 57

Cremation.

11/14/11

Female, 51

Pink casket.

11/7/11

Female, 57

Cremation.

11/4/11

Female, 63

10/21/11

Male, 92

Smoker, bladder cancer survivor.

10/19/11

Female, 86

Husband died 17 years ago.

10/18/11

Male, 49

10/15/11

Female, 22

10/14/11

Female, 85

10/6/11

Female, 2 months

Furry pink casket.

10/5/11

Female, 89

Cremation.

9/23/11

Male, 68

Must have been a police officer. Half the people in attendance were cops (in uniform). The procession was lead by two cops on horseback.

9/16/11

Female, 70

9/14/11

Female, 81

9/9/11

Male, 36

9/6/11

Female, 76

Vault guy let the grandson crank the vault into the ground.

9/1/11

Female, 69

Top of a double. Husband died 23 years ago.

8/30/11

Female, 89

8/26/11

Female, 82

Top of a double, husband died 5 months ago. Red balloons.

8/25/11

Female, 1 day

Family members helped fill.

8/23/11

Male, 79

8/19/11

Female, 80

8/17/11

Female, 88

8/16/11

Female, 81