Feast, by Christy Johnson and 33 Confessors

Mexico

Inventory# Book14

In Feast artist and photographer Christy Johnson presents historic first communion pictures found in bazars, antique stores, flea markets, and estate sales in Europe and the United States.The photos are thematically arranged in seven chapters titled ""Wash me clean from every stain of sin"", ""This is my body"", ""Blot out my iniquity"", ""Have a foretaste of heaven"", ""From the abyss of my nothingness I adore you"", ""Print deep in my soul the memory of bitter pain"", and ""The fruit of each mystery"" with captions, quotations, and commentary that illuminate the social impact of beliefs and assumptions surrounding this ancient rite of passage. Without lapsing into simple nostalgia Johnson evokes the poignancy of the ceremony to effect a compassionate deconstruction of this adolescent ritual so important in the lives of young Catholic girls. Since it's invention, the camera has served many purposes including as medium to produce fine art and document culture, architecture, travel, political, and historical events. It has also been used to produce advertising, eroticism, and popular entertainment. Johnson's Feast examines another important role photography has played and that is in documenting the process of the inculcation of spiritual beliefs and in the observance of faith. With it's captivatingly beautiful photographs and insightful analysis, Johnson's Feast is highly recommended. Includes essays by Margherita Sprio, Catherine Clinger, and Jenny Daggers. 

2007, hardcover new, (signed)