Altars and Icons: Sacred Spaces in Everyday Life
Since ancient times, humans have revered certain objects as reminders of the spiritual and have honored them in shrines and altars. Author and photographer Jean McMann explores this tendency in all its complex modern forms, both religious and secular, in this tribute to altar making. Each artist--for that is what they are--tells the story of how a bookshelf, a mantel, a garden, or even a car became a repository of memory, inspiration, luck, and prayer. From Andrew Romanoff's memorabilia of ancestors who ruled Russia to Violet Ruth Super's shrine to Elvis, a moving purity of feeling underlies each pebble and postcard.