An intimate exploration of the American wedding, an enduring public ritual
This book is an unexpected deep dive into the tenderness and truth of weddings. For 342 Saturdays, John Dolan has quietly pursued emotional and revealing art inside the wedding day itself. He has aimed his camera at tiny moments of deep meaning: evocative, joyful, unscripted, perfectly imperfect scenes at the start of a marriage. The wedding is one of society's last and lasting ceremonies—universal in its presence, comprehensive in its emotion. Dolan's candor, his respectful discretion and his gentle but shrewd and powerful observation combine to make a book that transcends weddings and enlightens us on the human condition. Dolan has influenced a generation of contemporary wedding photographers, redefining the genre over 30 years of work. He is an artist who chose weddings as his subject, fascinated by the complexity of this shared ritual. His work has been widely published and celebrated in major magazines and sought after by a variety of thoughtful clients from Johnny Cash to Gwyneth Paltrow. Dolan is based in New York, the Berkshires and Ireland, or wherever his next wedding takes him, finding beauty and truth below the surface of the occasion.
Featured image is reproduced from 'John Dolan: The Perfect Imperfect'.
PRAISE AND REVIEWS
Introspective
Alexandra Zagalsky
His strong tonal images are infused with nuanced storytelling, portraying instances of joy, unity and trepidation that come together to create a unique event that can’t be replicated but can be recaptured.
Wall Street Journal: WSJ.
Peter Saenger
Mr. Dolan, who has photographed more than 350 weddings over 35 years, mainly offers images captured on the fly, with occasional blurs reflecting the euphoric and furious pace of the day.
Thursday, October 14 at 6PM, Rizzoli Bookstore and Damiani Books invite you to an in-person event with author and photographer John Dolan to celebrate the publication of The Perfect Imperfect, an intimate exploration of the American wedding. Please register here and scroll down for in-person covid policies. continue to blog
FORMAT: Hbk, 10 x 13 in. / 268 pgs / 58 color / 137 b&w. LIST PRICE: U.S. $90.00 LIST PRICE: CANADA $123 ISBN: 9788862087452 PUBLISHER: Damiani AVAILABLE: 11/30/2021 DISTRIBUTION: D.A.P. RETAILER DISC: TRADE PUBLISHING STATUS: Out of print AVAILABILITY: Not available TERRITORY: NA LA
John Dolan: The Perfect Imperfect The Wedding Photographs
Published by Damiani. Essay by Martha Stewart.
An intimate exploration of the American wedding, an enduring public ritual
This book is an unexpected deep dive into the tenderness and truth of weddings. For 342 Saturdays, John Dolan has quietly pursued emotional and revealing art inside the wedding day itself. He has aimed his camera at tiny moments of deep meaning: evocative, joyful, unscripted, perfectly imperfect scenes at the start of a marriage. The wedding is one of society's last and lasting ceremonies—universal in its presence, comprehensive in its emotion. Dolan's candor, his respectful discretion and his gentle but shrewd and powerful observation combine to make a book that transcends weddings and enlightens us on the human condition.
Dolan has influenced a generation of contemporary wedding photographers, redefining the genre over 30 years of work. He is an artist who chose weddings as his subject, fascinated by the complexity of this shared ritual. His work has been widely published and celebrated in major magazines and sought after by a variety of thoughtful clients from Johnny Cash to Gwyneth Paltrow. Dolan is based in New York, the Berkshires and Ireland, or wherever his next wedding takes him, finding beauty and truth below the surface of the occasion.
