Book description
Shaker buildings have long been admired for their simplicity of
design and sturdy craftsmanship, with form always following function.
Over the years, their distinctive physical characteristics have
invited as much study as imitation. Their clean, unadorned lines have
been said to reflect core Shaker beliefs such as honesty, integrity,
purity, and perfection. In this book, Henry Plummer focuses on the use
of natural light in Shaker architecture, noting that Shaker builders
manipulated light not only for practical reasons of illumination but
also to sculpt a deliberately spiritual, visual presence within their
space. Stillness and Light celebrates this subtly beautiful aspect of
Shaker innovation and construction, captured in more than 100 stunning photographs.
"[A] stunning color photographic essay... Plummer's
discerning photographic eye not only captures the feeling of serenity
and peace that pervades these buildings, but also reminds us that for
the Shakers, daily work was prayer and every space in their community
was a chapel... This book is a must for libraries and any religious
group planning to construct significant spiritual space." -Nova
Religio, Vol. 15, No. 1 August, 2011
Henry Plummer is Professor of Architecture at the University of
Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, where he is also an associate of the
Center for Advanced Study. He is author of Poetics of Light, Light in
Japanese Architecture, and The Architecture of Natural Light.
