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Updated: December 29, 2009, 1:24 pm	Share    Print    Email

Grave site of Jackson Pollock at Green River Cemetery in Springs, East Hampton. Photos by Eileen Casey

East Hampton - Having been raised in a family and environment that, in particular, holds the arts in great esteem, I have always felt compelled, whenever possible, to pay my respects to those practitioners of a meaningful craft, lifestyle, or purpose that has had an impact and elicited an awareness on my sensibilities. One way I have done this is by visiting cemeteries in whatever area I have found myself "'lo these many years" while occupying space on this plane of reality.

Elaine de Kooning.

Having also been fortunate enough to have traveled some great distances, I have found myself standing in front of or near the grave sites of some individuals whose lives and contributions matter [at least to me]. Thus, bursting into tears at the grave of John F. Kennedy, (Washington, DC); overwhelmed with admiration for the man and his command of language at the grave of Winston Churchill (Oxfordshire Cotswolds); remembering favorite quotations of William Shakespeare (Stratford-upon-Avon), humming at the grave of Jim Morrison (Paris), or re-reading yet again "On The Road" by Jack Kerouac (buried in my hometown of Lowell, MA), I find seeking out graveyards and cemeteries to be a rather comforting, although perhaps unusual, pastime which enables me to feel 'at home' in any new geographic locale.

As a 'newcomer' to the East End, [and appreciative of the recognition that in my own hometown 'newcomer' meant families whose lineage can only be traced back three or four generations], I was both delighted and enthralled to explore Green River Cemetery in the Springs section of East Hampton.

Lee Krasner.

Participating in a recent art exhibition at Ashawagh Hall inspired me to visit this moving, beautiful, and serene resting place of artists and writers whose words and works have contributed powerful interpretations and influences on many dalliances of man for generations to come.

Alfonso Ossorio.

So setting out on a sunny Sunday afternoon, I was initially foiled by trying to find the exact turn-off to Green River Cemetery, as not only is there no river, the only body of water is tucked down the road a bit at Pussy's Pond. Amazingly, no one in either of two nearby stores knew the exact location, but after a few wrong turns, I found this small, clean, and serene resting place that was taken over by the community of artists that called Springs home in the 1940s, 1950s and still to this day.

Immediately struck by the generational lineage of the town's historic founding families, with names such as Bennett, King, and Talmage, I was cognizant of the importance of remembrance, recognition and respect of those loved ones now gone. I was equally struck by the number of artists, writers, directors, curators and contributors to the arts that chose to be buried here.

Johnny Notarangelo.

I believe this quaint resting place was intended as a final 'home' for members of those families who settled and founded the surrounding areas, however, alongside many still recognizable family names, are those names immediately recognizable to anyone with an interest in the arts.

One simply is unable to traverse through this cemetery without being immediately moved by the artistic measures taken to signify the burial spot of the likes of Pollock, de Kooning and Ernst, surnames that require no footnote among the national and international art community much less here in this small corner of East Hampton. Their headstones - humorous, profound, simple and elaborate - depict the range and authority of these creative souls. The words and renderings of those buried here seem to reveal the intentions or wishes of those tucked safely below.

I would urge anyone to pay a visit to this lovely, no-nonsense, unpretentious though remarkably memorable cemetery and perhaps draw some inspiration, consolation or fascination from the array of lives that have passed through its gates.

Some of those mentioned below represent both public notables and personal influences who are buried in Green River Cemetery:

George Q. Whitney.

Jackson Pollock (1912-1956) - Artist - A bit startling to be reminded that he died the year I was born, as my admiration and appreciation of his work over many years somehow always made me feel like he was just 'around somewhere.' I encountered four visitors from Milwaukee who had made a 'pilgrimage' to pay their respects at Pollock's grave, thereby initiating an interesting conversation about art in general, and Pollock in particular, lasting about a half-hour while one of the gentlemen leaned against what he kept referring to as "Pollock's boulder."

Lee Krasner (1908-1984) - Artist and wife of Pollock - what stuck me immediately was the positioning of her headstone - was it intentional in both its size and spatial alignment with that of her husband?

J.B. Handelsman.

Alfonso A. Ossorio (1916-1990) - A flamboyant East Hampton artist whose large, elaborate headstone is very indicative of his large and elaborate sculptures which still remain at The Creeks.

Stefan Wolpe (1902-1990) - Music Composer - Wolpe was a former Director of Music at Black Mountain College in North Carolina, who left the school (again the year I was born). Having many artist friends who spent time at Black Mountain College, I had no idea he was buried on Long Island.

Steven J. Ross (1927-1992) - CEO, Ross engineered the merger of Time-Warner and was a founder of the Ross School in East Hampton.

Stan Vanderbeek (1927-1983) - Underground Film Maker - No pun intended, however, Vanderbeek must have possessed a wonderful sense of humor, as evidenced by his film reel headstone.

Dan Christensen.

Harold Rosenberg (1906-1978) - Art Critic - the discovery of this particular grave prompted my companion to discourse at length about what good (and bad) results Rosenberg's influence had on the careers of many New York artists, he among them - happily resulting in fond memories.

Dan Christensen (1942-2007) - Artist

Henry Geldzahler (1935-1994) - Museum curator and former NYC Commissioner of Cultural Affairs

Stuart Davis (1892-1964) - Cubist artist

Elaine de Kooning (1918-1989) - Artist and wife of abstract expressionist Willem de Kooning.

Jimmy Ernst (1920-1984) - Artist and son of Max Ernst, and father of well-known local artist Eric Ernst.

Frank O'Hara (1926-1966) - Best remembered as the poet who began working as a reviewer for Art News, and in 1960 was Assistant Curator of Painting and Sculpture Exhibitions for the Museum of Modern Art, who died following an accident on Fire Island in which he was struck and injured by a man speeding in a beach vehicle during the early morning hours of July 24, 1966.

Pierre Franey.

Alan Pakula (1928-1998) - American film director, writer and producer noted for his contributions to the conspiracy thriller genre, most notably in 1962 he produced To Kill a Mockingbird.

Pierre Franey (1921-1996) - Chef most notably known for his 60 Minute Gourmet column for The New York Times.

A. J. Liebling (1904-1963) - An American journalist who was closely associated with The New Yorker magazine from 1935 until his death.

Jean Stafford (1915-1979) - Writer and novelist who won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction for The Collected Stories of Jean Stafford in 1970.

This is a mere mention of names to be found in a small, unassuming and tranquil location to be had in the Springs. Although the list of interesting and surprising grave sites to be found in Green River Cemetery is both rewarding and fascinating, one is definitely left with an appreciation of those whose impact on many lives will always be remembered, and the legacy left by many of those who reside here will certainly not be forgotten - even at 30 percent off (George Whitney)!

Stan Vanderbeek.