Pentecostal Service, Jolo, WV, from the "American Faith" series

Maker Churchill, Christopher American, b. 1977

Date2004

MediumGelatin silver print

Dimensionsimage: 17 7/16 in x 21 3/4 in; mat: 24 in x 30 in; paper: 20 in x 24 in

Credit LineGift of the Cafaro Family

Object number2014:331

About the ArtistFor his American Faith series, Christopher Churchill drove across the United States to explore the often intrinsic human need to feel connected to something greater. Rather than setting a predetermined route, Churchill placed his trust in random, unrelated events and individuals to lead his five-year exploration. Traveling state- to- state with an 8x10 view camera, Churchill found a more comprehensive view of faith than one solely defined by religious contexts, creating a diverse collection of images and audio recordings that depict how faith manifests in individuals. His inclusive view is apparent throughout his series, which consists of images of Hutterite children, voodoo priestesses, snake handlers, and the site of the famous Roswell, New Mexico UFO crash, to name a few.

Christopher Churchill’s work is held in numerous collections, including the Center for Creative Photography, Tucson; High Museum of Art, Atlanta; J. Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles; Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, Smithsonian Museum of American History, Washington, D.C.; and the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, Kansas City. Churchill has shown in exhibitions at the George Eastman House, Rochester (2011); Portland Museum of Art, (2006, 2008);, Humble Arts Foundation, New York (2007); and the Boston Public Library (2007), among others. He also works as an editorial and commercial photographer for clients such as GQ, Esquire, Newsweek, The New York Times, Scientific American, The Wall Street Journal, and Budweiser.