Wedded Bliss: The Marriage of Art and Ceremony

by Richter, Paula Bradstreet

• ISBN13: 9780875772141
• ISBN10: 0875772145
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2008-08-01
• Publisher: Univ Pr of New England

Summary

"Weddings are among the most universal social ceremonies. Surprisingly little consideration, however, has been devoted to how this momentous rite of passage has inspired artists from diverse cultures. Wedded Bliss: The Marriage of Art and Ceremony explores aesthetic expressions related to weddings from a selection of international cultures over the past three centuries. It offers comparisons between the Euro-American "white wedding" tradition and the vibrant artistic and cultural heritage of marriage ceremonies in Asia, Africa, and the Pacific region. By examining the wedding as an impetus for creativity, this publication provides fresh insight into a familiar subject and probes a complex, often highly charged, human experience."--BOOK JACKET.

Author Biography

Paula Bradstreet Richter, curator of the companion exhibition, is Curator of Textiles and Costumes at the Peabody Essex Museum. Photographers and writers Tiziana and Gianni Baldizonne have published Wedding Ceremonies: Ethnic Symbols, Costume and Rituals (2001). Sociologist Chrys Ingraham is the author of White Weddings: Romancing Heterosexuality in Popular Culture (2008). Donald Clay Johnson is the editor and contributing author to Wedding Dress Across Cultures (2003).

Table of Contents

Foreword	p. 6
Acknowledgments	p. 8
The Art of Wedding	p. 14
Weddings: Creativity and Art	p. 25
Wedding Rituals, Beliefs, and Arts	p. 87
Wedding in White	p. 115
Wedding Attire	p. 141
Straightening Up: The Marriage of Conformity and Resistance in Wedding Art	p. 159
Exhibition Checklist	p. 176
Selected Bibliography	p. 184
Credits	p. 188
Index	p. 190
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