A Call for Photographers/Contributions: Philippine Holy Week Images and Tableau Book Project

For our Photographer Friends, Please pass it on to fellow photographers and enthusiasts

I enjoin everyone to become part the first of a groundbreaking series of books featuring the Philippine Sculptural Arts. Due to copyright lockout, we shant be giving away the title for now, yet to peak thy interest allow me to list down what you will expect of the first volume.

Volume One Features:

-The Local Iconographic Traditions of Philippine Holy Week Images.
-Extensive Research from Authoritative Sources, Christian Tradition, Records of the Saint's or Martyr's Passio, and the proper translation and study of the Roman Martyrology in relation the Saints that come out during Holy Week Processions.
-Features a study on the entanglement and confusion of identities and iconography related to Holy Week Images.
-An Socio-Anthropological Study on the introduction, integration, adaptation, and the continuing evolution of the Philippine Holy Week Processional Line-up.
-Featuring a chapter on the study of first century clothing and jewelry from the Biblical Lands.
-Featuring a study on popular local patterns for clothing the saints and their company
-Excursus and Essays on Rare Sculptural Pieces, Indigenous Interpretations, and more.
-A revolutionary layout for quick reference and study.
-Under the creative guidance of one of the country's leading names in Philippine Culture Publication
-A Catalog of Images of the Solitary Images and Tableau as seen in Philippine Processional Line-up.
-And some surprises for the Santo Enthusiast

What is our intention in putting this book together?

As much as there have been books published devoted to Roman Catholic/Ecclesiastical Art in the country including one that has even compromised the local Holy Week Processional Line-Up by misinterpreting data about the identity of a certain female saint -of which no proper research could be provided by author in question, we felt the need for a book that will truly serve as a reference and a guide for Santo Enthusiasts, Collectors, Students, Art Scholars, Image Owners, Confraternities, and those who share a love albeit an addiction for the Liturgical, Sculptural, and Theatrical Value of the Santo or the Poon in Holy Week Processions.

Our aim is to provide you a book with the appropriate scholarship in relation to the Proper Iconography as prescribed by the Traditions in Roman Catholic Art among other sources and the local interpretation of these in the Philippine setting. In that same mold, we also aim to catalog many examples of a particular solitary image or tableau to feature the seemingly infinite variety of religious images taken out at the climax of the Lenten and Easter celebrations in the country.

We seek to clear out the confusion of who traditionally bears what, wears what, and what goes with what when it comes to the attributes of the Saints. We seek to state or cite practices in relation to the care, dressing, and veneration of these religious images. We seek to define the identity of the Santo/Santa through the governing aesthetic, development of style, and the use of materials that make them uniquely Filipino .

We seek to provide the reader with a quasi-encyclopedic accessible layout for your reference and ease of use.

How do you become part of it?

Currently, most of the writing is done and we are in the process of finalizing the content and editing the chapters, yet ever since from the conceptualization of this particular volume, we saw the potential of the Flickr online groups and its members in acquiring an extensive collection of photographs or images to accompany the text.

Three years into the process, we have been fortunate enough to be allowed into the homes of families taking care of these images and were granted access to personal collections; yet we seem to feel that the wealth of images currently in worship, steeped in local lore, or those in humble devotion are yet to be discovered and are beyond what we have photographed and already seen.

We want this volume to feature as many examples of solitary images and tableau that define the unique character of Philippine Holy Week Processions.

Therefore, we enjoin everyone if there is anything they wish to share or feature by way of photographs, information, local traditions, and stories to please contact us.

Specifically, We are looking for:

-Photographs of Solitary Images [Santo, Santa, Poon, Rebulto, the 12 Apostles, Holy Women, other Disciples, the Sorrowful Virgin Mary]
-Photographs of Holy Week Tableaux [Events encompassing the Passion, Death, and Resurrection of Jesus Christ]
-Photographs of New Testament Tableaux [Events encompassing the Ministry, Miracles, and Milestones in the Life of Jesus Christ as it applies to longer and more extensive -Processional Line-ups like that of Paete or Baliwag]
-Photographs of Holy Week Processions [Encompassing Palm Sunday to Easter Sunday]
-Photographs Pre and Post Procession
-Photographs of Santos/Santas as they are prepared for their Procession
-Photographs of Carrozas, Andas, and Calandras
-Photographs of Practices in Relation to Holy Week Processions
-Photographs of Rare Images: Crude, Folksy, or Naif [the rarer they are the better]
-Photographs of Christ's Tormentors [Hudyos, Romanos, etcetera]
-Photographs of Unusual Characters found in the Processional Line-up [including those from the depths of Tartarus -Paete has this]
-Photographs of Monumentos, Kapiyas, Estaciones, and Kubol in the path of the Procession
-Photographs of Unguarded Moments and Situations that arise in preparation, during or after procession.
-Provenance and History of Family Owned Images
-Provenance and History of Church/Community Owned Images
-The Acquisition or Commissioning of Religious Images
-Retired Images from the Processional Line-up
-Local Lore and Legend in relation to Holy Week Images currently in worship and procession
-Photographs of the 2011 Lenten Processions from your locale
-If you are a writer and there is something else you wish to share related to that listed above, we have a few Excursus spaces available for topics currently confidential

What's In it For You?

For every contribution, we shall be giving full credit to the photographer and the contributor. A signed document shall ensure that we adhere to this stipulation guaranteeing proper credit to the photographer/contributing party in the chapters, captions, and appendices of the book.

As of this time, it is premature for us to promise any copies of the book. The Editors and the Publisher shall decide on the degree of importance of the contributions and will be deciding on the complimentary copies or discounts to be granted the contributors.

So, if you are a Professional Photographer, Photography Hobbyist, Image Owner, Confraternity Member, Devotee, Writer, Informant, or Researcher who thinks you may have something to contribute to this book by way of the list above, you are most welcome.

If there is a particular religious image or tableaux that you wish to share with us and feel strongly should be included, you are most welcome.

If there is something that you think we should take note of in relation to the list above, you are welcome to do so.

Target Deadline for Contributions: May 5th 2011

This book shall be for limited publication with 150 hardbound and 450 softbound copies.



How You Can Reach Us:

email:

piety.philippinebookproject@gmail.com

thenikidelosreyestorres@gmail.com

or send me a Flickrmail

mobile numbers available upon request

Again we thank thee for thy time and look forward to collaborating with you.

Niki de los Reyes-Torres, PATDAT