The Luck Archive: Exploring Belief, Superstition, and Tradition

Artist Menjivar’s photography book showcases his project entitled the Luck Archive, an itemized exploration of people’s associations with luck. Some entries, like double rainbows and horseshoes, are expected, while others, such as sayings like “don’t walk under ladders” and “don’t cut your nails on a Sunday” veer into the realm of superstition. The quirky habits of regular lottery players and athletes are charming, while a motivational speaker’s habit of giving away “lucky” pairs of underwear may cause some concern. Some entries are accompanied by backstories, but most are not, leaving their significance up to the reader to determine. Instead of using these objects or their frequent association with luck as an entry point to examine luck and what it means, Menjivar simply moves from example to example. What could have been an insightful and inspiring examination of luck and all its meanings is reduced to little more than a handful of images. Illus. [em](June) [/em]