Patrick Corfe
I worked briefly as a volunteer in Highgate Cemetery (west) in the 1970’s. This kindled an interest in cemetery development and figurative monuments. Repeated visits to several Paris cemeteries saw me drawn to photograph memorial sculptures. Following visits to Genoa and Milan, it was clear a growing collection of images would develop. Further travels to Hamburg and Vienna added to this collection.
In deciding to create this website, it was to offer a tangible display of compassion which, for the most part, has often been a singular response to grief. This website makes the various collections available.
Their beauty and power endure as they portray different responses I found drawn to photograph.
This website makes various collections available which group the sculptures I found appealing into 15 Series. Each series focuses on a different aspect or response to creating enduring beauty. Anecdotes and stories include multiple monument images and often take in the wider setting in which each sculpture sits.
Patrick was born in Africa, brought up in Norway and educated in England. He enjoyed a childhood of country homes and
schools then went on to train and work in London for ten years.
He qualified as a Landscape Architect in 1978 and went on to work on five west London cemeteries.
He moved to New Zealand in 1983 and has worked on 13 cemeteries there, ranging from remote rural sites to large urban parks.
His interest in historic cemeteries spans three decades and he continues to travel and photograph figurative monuments around the world.
All Photography and text is the copyright of Patrick Corfe.
© 2013 Patrick Corfe.