Kristin Bedford (American), Jashua

Archival print in colors, 2012-2013, from the series Be Still, matted and framed.

Sight size 18 1/2 x 27 3/4 in.; Frame dimensions 26 1/2 x 36 in.

From the Collection of Ron W. Djuren, Durham, North Carolina

In July 2012, American photographer Kristin Bedford attended a church service at a storefront in Durham, North Carolina. The space, which had been a bank, a pawnshop, and a clothing store, was now the home of Apostolic Deliverance Rebirth Outreach Ministries. Bedford spent the next ten months photographing the sanctuary.

Artist Statement:
"There is a legacy of depicting African American religious worship in storefront churches – or other nontraditional religious spaces such as tent revivals or river baptisms – in its more ecstatic manifestations... When we think of the storefront church, the image of fevered praise is the one we carry with us. While attending Apostolic Deliverance, I found myself drawn to quite a different aspect of worship: to moments of devotional solitude and contemplative silence....The storefront space itself amplifies this quiet undercurrent...There are no traditional architectural cues, like stained glass windows or vaulted ceilings, to kindle a religious experience. The bare interiors make more visible the gentle gestures of faith. Whatever spirit is in the room belongs solely to the worshippers....The small storefront on the corner of Angier and Driver in Durham, might be just enough space for a congregation to find this liberating stillness." (Courtesy of the Artist's Website)

Very good condition, not examined outside the frame.