Review
"Keri Pickett's work is an astounding and deeply observed testament to the healing power of men loving men. Her images are as strong and true as a summer's day. Faeries is a book about possibility, not predicament; a lovely invitation for everyone to stake a claim on whimsy, wonder, and simply being themselves."--Mark Thompson, author of Gay Spirit, Gay Body, and Gay Soul trilogy
"Keri Pickett's photographs aren't from a distant voyeuristic perspective--hers is the eye of a member of the family who reveals the sacred life of her dear subjects. This book is a documentation of a modern day Midsummer Night's Dream."--Amy Ray, Indigo Girls
"Pickett's photographs of men in skirts, in the buff or in flower wreaths are gentle and dignified.... There's a timelessness to the light, to the naked beautiful bodies, to the storybook costumes."--Duluth News-Tribune
"This collection of photographs and voices spins a tale of heart circles, rituals and trees, the cookhouse and cabin, the lake, river and lots of beautiful faerie nymphs who really know how to dress for dinner. The images and voices illuminate a place where people dare to explore a way of being for which the mainstream has no room."--Keri Pickett
Review
"Keri Pickett's work is an astounding and deeply observed testament to the healing power of men loving men. Her images are as strong and true as a summer's day. Faeries is a book about possibility, not predicament; a lovely invitation for everyone to stake a claim on whimsy, wonder, and simply being themselves."--Mark Thompson, author of Gay Spirit, Gay Body, and Gay Soul trilogy
"Keri Pickett's photographs aren't from a distant voyeuristic perspective--hers is the eye of a member of the family who reveals the sacred life of her dear subjects. This book is a documentation of a modern day Midsummer Night's Dream."--Amy Ray, Indigo Girls
"Pickett's photographs of men in skirts, in the buff or in flower wreaths are gentle and dignified.... There's a timelessness to the light, to the naked beautiful bodies, to the storybook costumes."--Duluth News-Tribune
"This collection of photographs and voices spins a tale of heart circles, rituals and trees, the cookhouse and cabin, the lake, river and lots of beautiful faerie nymphs who really know how to dress for dinner. The images and voices illuminate a place where people dare to explore a way of being for which the mainstream has no room."--Keri Pickett
Book Description
Faeries, photographer Keri Pickett's latest project, welcomes us into a secluded community in the wooded Minnesota sanctuary of Kawashaway, home of the self-proclaimed "radical faeries," a name chosen by a group of mostly gay men to express pride and solidarity in their differences. Here, in this idyllic, remote setting, an annual retreat takes place: a week of camp fires, communal bonding, and gender bending.
Pickett's photographs span six years of these summer gatherings, at which people from across the country join together as friends and family. This group forms a circle of souls, individuals seeking to find their place in a culture that seems to prize individuality but frequently distrusts those who are different. As the book relates through interviews with participants of the gatherings, the faerie community provides for much more than a frolic in the woods. It has become a stabilizing support network--a new radical means of extended family.
Pickett's elegant black-and-white images are intimate records of the spiritual exploration and the unique closeness found far away from everyday life. Her photographs convey comfort and comedy, solace and joy, exuberance and contemplation. The surprising sight of men in drag against the backdrop of a forest lends the volume an unusual visual drama. She captures the poignant gesture of an embrace, the naturalness and beauty of naked bodies, and a gleefully chaotic abundance of fancy frocks. Through these details Faeries reveals the cautious and joyful evolution of a community with members across the United States.
An extended text, transcribed and edited from conversations with members of the faeries, accompanies the photographs. In their own words, they discuss friendship, the process of coming out, magic, religion, and ritual. The voices speak of self-discovery, personal growth, and a sought-after sense of safety--themes gracefully and effectively echoed by Pickett's classically beautiful and often humorous photographs.
About the Author
Keri Pickett was born in Charleston, South Carolina on June 4, 1959. She is a widely exhibited photographer who has published extensively in American Photo, the Village Voice, People, Life, Geo, the New York Times Magazine, and the Utne Reader, among others. Her previous book, Love in the 90s: B.B. and Jo, The Story of a Lifelong Love, A Granddaughter's Portrait (Warner Books, 1995), had a first printing of 150,000 copies. She is the recipient of numerous grants and fellowships, including three McKnight Foundation Photography Fellowships, a National Endowment for the Arts Photography Fellowship, a Bush Foundation Fellowship, and support from the Jerome Foundation. Pickett is currently based in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and visits the northern woods of Kawashaway at least once annually for a faerie recharge.
Faeries: Visions, Voices and Pretty Dresses FROM THE PUBLISHER
Faeries, photographer Keri Pickett's latest project, welcomes us into a secluded community in the wooded Minnesota sanctuary of Kawashaway, home of the self-proclaimed "radical faeries," a name chosen by a group of mostly gay men to express pride and solidarity in their differences. Here, in this idyllic, remote setting, an annual retreat takes place: a week of camp fires, communal bonding, and gender bending.
Pickett's photographs span six years of these summer gatherings, at which people from across the country join together as friends and family. This group forms a circle of souls, individuals seeking to find their place in a culture that seems to prize individuality but frequently distrusts those who are different. As the book relates through interviews with participants of the gatherings, the faerie community provides for much more than a frolic in the woods. It has become a stabilizing support network--a new radical means of extended family.
Pickett's elegant black-and-white images are intimate records of the spiritual exploration and the unique closeness found far away from everyday life. Her photographs convey comfort and comedy, solace and joy, exuberance and contemplation. The surprising sight of men in drag against the backdrop of a forest lends the volume an unusual visual drama. She captures the poignant gesture of an embrace, the naturalness and beauty of naked bodies, and a gleefully chaotic abundance of fancy frocks. Through these details Faeries reveals the cautious and joyful evolution of a community with members across the United States.
An extended text, transcribed and edited from conversations with members of the faeries,accompanies the photographs. In their own words, they discuss friendship, the process of coming out, magic, religion, and ritual. The voices speak of self-discovery, personal growth, and a sought-after sense of safety--themes gracefully and effectively echoed by Pickett's classically beautiful and often humorous photographs.
Art & Photography
Book Info
