Botanica Los Angeles: Latino Popular Religious Art In The City Of Angels

by Polk, Patrick Arthur

• ISBN13: 9780974872902
• ISBN10: 0974872903
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2005-01-31
• Publisher: Univ of Washington Pr

Summary

Material expressions of spiritual belief are integral components of the Los Angeles landscape. Cathedrals, temples, churches, and shrines dot the city, but they are not the only sites where notions of the divine, or at least the supernatural, are made visible. Reflecting the broad ethnic and cultural reconfiguration of Southern California in recent years, botánicas have emerged as one of the most frequent purveyors of sacramental items. This book explores these fascinating venues and their role in transmitting, transforming, and critiquing traditional faiths.An ever-evolving combination of spiritual center, religious supply house, and alternate healthcare facility, the botánica is generally associated with folk Catholicism and other Latin American religious traditions. Vivid photographs and essays describe these sites of spirit-infused artistry, ceremonial activity, and community building.

Table of Contents

Foreword	p. 7
Acknowledgments	p. 11
Botanica Los Angeles: An Introduction	p. 14
Objects of Devotion: Sacramental Imagination and the Sacred Universe of the Botanica	p. 26
Botanicas: Sites of Healing and Community Support	p. 46
"Stir It Up": An Elegba Throne by Felipe and Valeria Garcia Villamil	p. 56
Remembering America: A Powerful and Carinosa Daughter of Yemaya and a Maestra de las Ciencias Ocultas	p. 66
Travels with Charley and Manuel	p. 74
"Candles, Flowers, and Perfume": Puerto Rican Spiritism on the Move	p. 88
"God, My Saints, and Michaela Too!"	p. 98
Hermano Carlos and San Simon	p. 108
Infinite Gestures: Franco Mondini-Ruiz's Infinito Botanica: L.A.	p. 122
Notes to the Text	p. 131
References Cited	p. 132
Suggested Readings	p. 134
Index	p. 136
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