As an American living in Europe, I have never gotten my head around the vestigial tail of pagan rituals that still occasionally surface here. They do not happen often, but I am continuously bemused when they do. They seem to function on either fire or water. During the opening season, which includes springtime fertility rites, men run around throwing water (or gently spraying them) on the local womenfolk before hitting them lightly with an elaborate bit of twisted tree branch with a ribbon on top. This occurs during Easter; doing this bizarre flirt/courtship dance will ensure human husbandry across the land or something. It is called Šibačka, and I never could fathom its symbolic dissonance.
What amuses me most is that the rituals and rites of pagan Europe persist in an age where Western religious practice has declined for decades. Not being a sociologist, it is hard to say why that might be; not being a scientist, it is even harder to maintain this point of view as absolute. I can only make the slight observation that the death of tradition has coincided with beliefs in technology, science, and money replacing the former gods. Perhaps we can drag out the corpse of Nietzsche for a struggle session and assert dominance to remind his bones of what follows in the wake of his ideas about Promethean positions and the death of dogs. Let us not forget Hegel before him…
“The pure concept, however, or infinity, as the abyss of nothingness in which all being sinks, must characterize the infinite pain, which previously was only in culture historically and as the feeling on which rests modern religion, the feeling that God Himself is dead, purely as a phase, but also as no more than just a phase, of the highest idea.” Freddy Hegel, Phenomenology of Spirit, 1807
When thinking about the disappearance or the continuation of rituals, I find it interesting that people find a legacy in these communal acts. From the Judeo-Christian perspective, how I was raised, it isn’t that different than people receiving communion, believing that they are cannibalistically ingesting the body and if Luthern, blood (wine) of Christ in an act/ritual of transubstantiation—or believing that some dead buff zombie dude removed his tomb rock from a cave after being whipped, stabbed, and crucified before floating up to heaven to legitimize both the saving of humanity and the trifecta of worship points. Rituals are strange, but they present a type of social cohesion for the flock to gather around. With pagan traditions, continuity is also relevant; pre-Christian European rituals, succeeding against all odds throughout the ages, tie folk to their land, inherent customs, and the local community.
Claudine Doury’s new book Solstice, beautifully produced by Origini Edizioni, examines the Eastern European rite of Kupala Night, the beginning of summer, more commonly referred to as summer solstice. Doury has visited various sites from Russia to Poland for over ten years to examine local traditions and customs based on solstice traditions. Her work is geared toward the feminine as much as the rite of Kupala night trends toward rituals of fertility and youth. The main protagonists are female, and though it does color the book, the intention is broader speaking and more about themes of ancestry and general rites of seasonal passage. It is filled with symbolic mythology, and apart from one photograph at the end, it suggests a heimat-like quality to the work, though it has been photographed over several countries. There is something urgent about it all that suggests ecology might also be a determining factor. If I extend that, there is also a discussion about hyper-modernity and tradition at its heart. Perhaps I am overshading a bit, but the last picture and the protagonist’s return to the flat blocks suggest either a dream state during the solstice, a rebuttal against contemporary living forms, or both.
I am reminded of a few things when I look at the work in photography and the broader cultural spectrum. First and foremost, it is straightforward to look at Solstice and think about Ari Aster’s film Midsommar, and then from there; I think about Folk horror in general with Wicker Man, Blood on Satan’s Claw, and other forms of cinema that have leaned into the themes of pagan rites across Europe, though not as benign as Doury’s enterprising book. Midsommar comes closest in terms of aesthetics from the category of cinema. In contemporary photography, I am quickly reminded of two Swedish artists. Maja Daniels’s new book Gertrude which has overlapping images from golden light vistas to a nymph in the cold water stream. There is also fire, but these themes are not relegated to either artist but share a kinship. Finally, Martina Hoogland Invanow’s phenomenal photobook Circular Wait has elements of color coding that remind me of Doury’s palette. That stated, Circular Wait is less folk-oriented and plays closer to something like science fiction. When Doury uses a well-lit color palette, as in the image above, I almost see hints of Andrew Wyeth or perhaps Jean-François Millet.
As always, the construction of a book from Matilde Vittoria Laricchia at Origini Edizioni is above and beyond in terms of aim. The hand-made elements are top-notch, particularly the golden thread sewing on the book and even the plastic sleeve it comes in. The boards feel like a photo album; Mary Frey’s new book My Mother, My Son has a similar design. The cover is slightly floppy, reminding the viewer of a photo album from the past, loading both titles with a sense of tactility and cultural memory uncommon in many books produced today. Solstice was sent to me unexpectedly and is quickly becoming one of my top titles of the year. It feels wholly resolved, and Origini Edizioni grows in their productive technicality. The book is priced reasonably. I suggest paying attention to the Origini Edizioni titles and Claudine if you were unaware—highest Recommendation.
Claudine Doury
Solstice
Origini Edizioni
Claudine Doury
Solstice
Synopsis:
Kupala Night is celebrated throughout Eastern Europe. It’s a ritual that dates back to the dawn of time, a way to thank the pagan deities for the beginning of summer, fertility, and the Beauty of Youth. These images taken over the last ten years convey its magical character, enchanting us with their enchantment into an initiation rite, a collective baptism to discover the places of origin in a family album.
Technical information:
Photos by Claudine Doury
Editing by Ilias Georgiadis and Claudine Doury
Book Design by Matilde Vittoria Laricchia
Handcrafted realization by Eugenia Koval
53 photos, 83 pages
250 copies numbered and signed
Closed book dimensions: 33×25 cm
Languages: French and English
Paper: Musa Green Book 85 gr Burgo; Pergamenata Naturale Fedrigoni 90 gr; Majestic Candlelight Cream Favini 250 gr.
The book is covered with Savanna Wood Green canvas and hot engraved in gold—handmade perfect binding.