While trained as an artist and sculptor, and employed as a theatrical cosmetician and makeup expert, his greatest contribution to restorative art was his encouragement of adopting a uniform curriculum and standards for instructional and testing purposes, in which he prepared sample syllabi and curricula, as well as examination questions that became standards in the field of study. However, it wasn’t until 1945 that restorative art became a formally adopted discipline when it was the subject of the NFDA Convention in Chicago, where it was addressed as being a value and a necessity of the procedures of embalming. Beyond restoring the physical appearance of the deceased to provide loved ones with the last positive memory experience, the restorative arts can do much more to facilitate comfort and healing for loved ones as they move through the healing process. When loved ones are notified of a sudden, tragic, and unexpected death, they are in a state of disbelief and shock. They often do not know immediately what really happened, and they begin to imagine several scenarios and wonder what pain and fear their loved one suffered during their last moments of life. Many family members refuse to believe their loved one has died and insist it must be mistaken identity, hopeful that all will be resolved as soon as they can contact them. Slowly, as the evidence mounts, they realize they will never see them again, and devastation and sadness take over. They still may not know the details surrounding the death and continue to suffer the pain of not knowing what their loved one experienced. Not knowing the truth can be very destructive mentally and emotionally, and their imagination may lead them to very dark and sad conclusions. Restorative arts can play a pivotal role in assisting loved ones in healing, moving toward acceptance, and beginning the grieving process. At this point, the ability to see their loved one looking peaceful could help through the grieving process. When funeral directors urge families to keep the casket closed, or when the family member in charge hastily decides to not allow viewing, it has the same effect as saying the situation is horrible and too shocking to view, which reinforces the cycle of fear, sadness, and haunting images of the unknown. A positive viewing experience may help family and friends acknowledge and accept the death. would be minimal at this level and should reflect the skin tone, coloring, and style that the person preferred in life. A summary of Grey’s guidelines follows (Grey, 2004). Minor cases of restoration would include the following: ● Operations such as hypodermic tissue building because of a wasting disease or malnutrition prior to death. ● Reduction of swelling usually caused by drugs administered prior to death. ● Removal and restoration of small skin blemishes. ● Sub-tissue surgery. ● Bleaching and concealing discoloration. ● Rehydration of tissues. ● Restoration or replacement of hair or major feature, reduction of large tumors or swelling, reconstruction of major fractures, removal and replacement of damaged areas, and deep wounds. ● Most restorative art or corrective procedures are carried out after arterial embalming; although some need to be attended to before arterial injection is started.
on the emaciated features of the dead, from filling the inside of the mouths with sawdust to improve hollowed cheeks to stuffing linen under the eyelids or replacing eyes with stones. They would continue this procedure, tending to any disability, injury, or disfigurement until the face and body were contoured to approximate the original features and shape of the person they were preparing for their death ceremony. The next milestone in restoration arts occurred in 1912, when embalmer Joel E. Crandall introduced demisurgery, a practice he described as “the art of building or creating parts of the body which have been destroyed by accident, disease, decomposition or discoloration, and making the body perfectly natural and lifelike” (ibid.). Demisurgery was added to the practice of embalming as a way to make the appearance of the deceased more presentable, especially in trauma cases. Many people of that era felt that the practice of demisurgery in principle was unacceptable and should not be practiced after death. Crandall continued to make a case for the practice of demisurgery as an important service for bodies that had suffered severe trauma or mutilation. He provided photographic evidence to document the dramatic results of his work using before-and-after pictures. His photographs changed the attitudes of many in the funeral industry at that time, and demisurgery for the deceased became an accepted practice. By the 1930s, demisurgery was referred to as restorative art and had become an important part of embalming in part because it was used to repair and cover the impact of injury or disease that resulted from World War I. Professionals in the field began to realize the positive healing effects that restorative art could have on loved ones because the body could be restored to resemble its original appearance. The next major milestone occurred with the publications of the textbook Restorative Art in 1943 by Sheridan Mayer, followed by the Workbook on Color and Mortuary Cosmetology and the textbook Color and Cosmetic s. Gillis (2011) explains Mayer’s important work: Practice guidelines for restorative art Edward J. Grey holds a master’s degree in restorative art from the International College of Mortuary Science, Liege, Belgium. He provides the following information outlining the progression of restoration art techniques corresponding to the degree of restoration required, restorative guidelines, and practical advice to face challenging tasks. In the best-case scenario, a simple case of restorative art would involve the proper setting of facial features, which is one of the most important responsibilities of the artist. Setting facial features can never receive too much attention because they are the focal point of the viewing. The effect should be as natural as possible and resemble the person in life as compared to a recent photo. Make-up application More extensive restorations These cases generally take a longer period of time, and the embalmer/restorative artist should be consulted before deciding viewing times with relatives. These operations require extensive time, patience, and skill to complete and could include the following:
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