Synopsis:
In this groundbreaking study, art and furniture historian John T. Kirk casts new light on the Shakers, describing the evolution of their beliefs, religious practices, and daily life, and showing how these factors influenced all of their arts, including their spirit-inspired "gift" drawings and architecture. His analysis of the relationship of Shaker-made objects to pieces produced by non-Shakers in the same period and locality illuminates the development of Shaker art and its place in the American experience. Using hitherto unpublished documents, diaries, and letters, Kirk gives voice and presence to these remarkable people and their world.
Lavishly illustrated, with many new photographs of Shaker objects reproduced here for the first time, The Shaker World: Art, Life, Belief is the most complete record of Shaker life ever published.
Review:
Enthusiasts of American cultural history will be thrilled to get their hands on this book by art historian, lecturer, and cabinetmaker John T. Kirk. The Shakers, living in self-contained religious communities since the late 18th century, have been constant producers of American decorative art. Through documents, diaries, letters, and photographs, Kirk gives a complete study of the evolution of Shaker religious beliefs and practices, and the art and furniture produced. The weight of the type is weak, making the tall columns of densely packed type hard to read, and some of the illustrations are muddy. But the book is rich in information and complete in its examination of the subject.
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