Solitary Raven: Selected Writings of Bill Reid

Book Description

When Haida sculptor Bill Reid died in 1998, he was more widely and more fervently admired than any other Native American artist. Reid attained his greatest fame in the visual arts, but words were his first professional medium. He made his living as a radio announcer and script writer until he received his first large carving commission, in 1958. Indeed, one of his several Haida names was Kihlguulins, "the one with the beautiful voice." His oratorical and literary gifts are rightly part of the Reid legend.

Despite that gift for words, much of what he wrote was published only in the fugitive domain of newspapers, magazines, and exhibition catalogues. Other works were broadcast or recorded as the voice-tracks of documentary films but never printed. Still others have waited until now to be released in any form.

Book Description

The core of this powerful assemblage is an exploration of the extraordinary achievement of Haida art, as art. Interwoven throughout the text and the finely reproduced images is a skillful intermingling of key themes: the defining myths of origins; the structures of ownership and privilege; the relationship of the people to the land; the influence of the early master-carvers; the monumental achievements of Charles Edenshaw, Bill Reid, Robert Davidson, and many others; the Haida and colonialism; and hybrid tendencies in contemporary Haida art. From oral histories and genealogies to the breakout aesthetics of contemporary Haida work in many media, this book celebrates a great art in a contemporary context.

Customer Reviews:

A Fine Companion Book to a Wonderful Exhibit, But..........2006-08-24

This companion volume to the astonishing "Raven Travelling" exhibit, currently (through mid-September '06) on view at the Vancouver Art Gallery in downtown Vancouver, B.C., features fine photographs and several articles, ranging from evocative to scholarly, that will serve as an introduction to Haida art, thought, and cultural/political/ecological concerns. The exhibit will then travel to more easterly Canadian cities--you'll do yourself a favor to time any plans taking you to Canada to intercept "Raven Travelling" in its travels!

The title of both exhibit and book refer to a cycle of Haida myths starring the irrepressible and irreverent Raven. The Haida are ancient island dwellers indigenous to northwest British Columbia (and more recent migrants to even more northerly islands which lie within Southeast Alaska). The Haida were and are exceptional artists, painters, sculptors, weavers, and architects of monumental long-houses and totem poles. Their woodworking technology and stewardship over giant red cedar trees allowed them to craft swift and capacious sea-going canoes.

Their culture and artwork at first flourished through contact with the Euroamerican newcomers, were then devastated by smallpox and cultural-religious-economic imperialism, and--still more remarkably, testifying to the enormous resilience and strength of spirit of the Haida people (and their allies among the newcomers)--have rebounded to earn renewed acclaim.

The ancient homeland of Haida Gwaii (the Queen Charlotte Islands to us newcomers) is becoming an eco-tourist destination, even as the Haida fight efforts to log off the remaining old-growth forest cover.

The exhibit brings together over 300 pieces of formline-carved, painted, and woven objects (and occasional, more-geometrically decorated weavings) fashioned over more than two centuries of Haida artistic production. One can view masks and fragile argillite pipes collected by New England sea captain in the early 1800s, bracelets and model totem poles traded to early tourists and pioneering ethnologists, powerfully-symbolic "coppers" and provocative manga graphic art, most of superb quality, often as fresh as the day they left the maker's hands, gathered from a host of prestigious museum collections and knowledgeable private enthusiasts, and cunningly arranged.

The Vancouver mounting of the exhibit is not flawless, though the selection and sequence of the pieces is hard to fault. The main problem is lighting: several magnificent, bentwood bowls displayed in one corner are poorly lit; the design on one of two arrogant coppers is difficult to discern behind distracting reflections; many beautiful engraved gold or silver bracelets, pendants, and rings could benefit from some means of magnification, so their fine details could be appreciated; an enormous carved chest from the hands of the "Chicago Settee Master" is mounted so that one of its two carved and painted faces is impossible to inspect; and an entire case of carvings and engravings from the "Silent Era" of legally-imposed repression and displacement lacks any lighting at all!

These are quibbles, however: anyone with even the mildest interest in native culture or any art originating outside that of the European mainstream will find endless beauty and fascination in this show.

Highly commendable is the effort throughout to treat the artists--whether past or present--as individual and, in many cases, identifiable persons, each with his or her own biography, history, and motivations, rather than to treat the masters behind the art as anonymous, faceless, and generic "tribal crafts-people."

As my title for this review indicates, the "Raven Travelling" book makes a fine companion volume to this superb exhibit, but it too has its drawbacks. For those who have some minimal prior acquaintance with this art and culture, too many of the otherwise-interesting articles are recycled, including several previously-published essays by artist Bill Reid and a commentary by artist Robert Davidson (both incomparable artists, whose esthetic and philosophical viewpoints are arresting and engaging).

While the photographs, both those of the exhibited pieces and the archival photographs of people and places, are marvelous indeed, many of the archival photos have, likewise, been repeatedly reproduced before. While these arguably-"redundant" photos are as meritorious as the "recycled" essays (and frequently subserve the admirable aim of individuating the artists), and while a case can certainly be made for seizing this opportunity to make them accessible to a wider audience, their inclusion comes at some cost: this attractive volume is NOT a complete catalog and does NOT, therefore, serve to fully memorialize the exhibit from which it springs.

And this would be my chief complaint: while "exhibit catalog" perhaps sounds like a drier, more-scholarly, and less-appealing tome than does "coffee-table" photo-essay display volume, it seems to me that--with sufficient care and thought--and a little less recycling of contents, this book could have admirably served both functions. Once this exhibit has been seen in all its venues over the next year or so, it will be--for most purposes--gone for good unless appropriately memorialized. Those of us who have the good fortune of encountering the exhibit will be able to revisit it in memory, but many others--who might have "viewed" the exhibit over and over again through a comprehensive catalog--will now never have that opportunity.

Perhaps there ought to be a law! Somewhere, in the back of an otherwise-commendable book such as this one, ALL the pieces exhibited should be listed, giving appropriate collection data and provenance, in whatever minute font economy might dictate, with at least one well-chosen and well-lit b/w "glamor" photo of EACH and EVERY exhibited piece (again, not in full-page spread, but at whatever size adequately rewards detailed inspection while still accomodating printing costs).

Though this is not that ideal volume, it remains a magnificent and rewarding introduction to Haida art and culture. Despite the pieces and information that are missing, what it does include is incomparable (and, in at least a few cases, such as the hard-to-view copper, which appears in a clear color photo in the book, makes up for the exhibit's mounting gaffes).

Peter MacNair's meditation on the art and the artists of the 19th Century is a thorough and valuable resource, prepared by one of the five or six pre-eminient scholars of this art-style, and would be worth the price of the entire volume as a stand-alone, lavishly-illustrated essay. (Again, though, I have one quibble: an interior house post, knowledgeably-attributed to the "Chicago Settee Master" by prior scholars, is here identified in a photo caption as the work of Paul Jones, who is in prior scholarly work identified as the owner of the house, but not as the artist who carved the pole--traditionally, these would rarely have been the same individual. Elsewhere in his text, MacNair discusses the "Chicago Settee Master" and his distinctive style in some detail. I was left wondering whether house-owner Jones and the "Chicago Settee Master" have now been determined to be one and the same, or whether objects previously-attributed to the CSM are now being re-attributed to two different carvers.)

Again, these are the veriest quibbles. "Raven Travelling" is a sumptuous resource; even the quality of ink, paper, and printing are of the highest--in fact, I have heard it rumored that once the initial print run has sold out, it may not be economically-feasible to publish further editions.

So, snap up this magnificent volume while you can!

Know Your Sewing Machine (Creative Machine Arts Series)

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Know Your Sewing Machine (Creative Machine Arts Series)
Jackie Dodson
Manufacturer: Chilton Book Co
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Crafts & Hobbies | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books

Sewing | Crafts & Hobbies | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0801978858

Spruce Root Basketry of the Haida and Tlingit

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Spruce Root Basketry of the Haida and Tlingit

Spruce Root Basketry of the Haida and Tlingit
Sharon Busby
Manufacturer: University of Washington Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Folk Art | Schools, Periods & Styles | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

Baskets | Crafts & Hobbies | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books

General | Crafts & Hobbies | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books

Textile Arts | Crafts & Hobbies | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books

Weaving | Crafts & Hobbies | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books

All Titles | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books
ASIN: 0295983175

Book Description

The Haida and the Tlingit people of the northern Northwest Coast are renowned for their outstanding arts, among them elegant spruce-root basketry. Prized by non-Native collectors for more than a century, these finely woven creations are found in museums and private collections all over the world. Despite the continued popularity of these baskets, there is little published about them.

Sharon Busby examines the history and evolution of spruce-root basketry, starting with the archaeological evidence of baskets older than the Egyptian pyramids. She describes traditional uses and forms, as well as changes in style when basketry became part of the souvenir trade that developed in the late 1880s. She also describes the heroic efforts of 20th-century Haida and Tlingit teachers who kept the ancient traditions alive and the contemporary weavers who have revitalized the art.

Spruce-Root Basketry of the Haida and Tlingit provides the largest collection of color images of Haida and Tlingit baskets ever published, many of them for the first time. The skillful photography of Ron Reeder presents a visual history of spruce-root basketry from the 1850s to the present. He captures the lustrous patina of the old baskets made for traditional Native uses as well as the impressive variety of baskets made for sale in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Photographs also portrays the baskets made today by weavers who are a living part of a long tradition.

Historical photographs enhance the account of the late 19th and early 20th centuries and provide a visual counterpoint to the vibrant color images of the baskets today. Drawings by Margaret Davidson explain the complex weaving techniques used in these baskets for millennia. The combination of compelling images and informative text makes this book a welcome addition to the literature of basketry and Northwest Coast art for students, collectors, and admirers of this art form.

Customer Reviews:

Spruce Root Basketry of the Haida and Tlingit.......2003-04-11

Great book for anyone interested in basket making. Covers all facets of Haida and Tlingit spruce root baskets, including their origins, uses, how they are made and even their care and appreciation of them. Numerous excellent pictures and illustrations compliment the text.

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Robert Davidson: Eagle of the Dawn
Robert Davidson
Manufacturer: Univ of Washington Pr
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | History & Criticism | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

General | Artists, A-Z | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

General | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

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Eagle Transforming: The Art of Robert Davidson

ASIN: 0295972602

Eagle Transforming: The Art of Robert Davidson

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Eagle Transforming: The Art of Robert Davidson
Robert Davidson
Manufacturer: Univ of Washington Pr
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Sculpture | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

General | Artists, A-Z | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

General | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0295973714

Chiefs of the Sea and Sky: Haida Heritage Sites of the Queen Charlotte Islands

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Chiefs of the Sea and Sky: Haida Heritage Sites of the Queen Charlotte Islands
George F. MacDonald
Manufacturer: University of British Columbia Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Sculpture | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

General | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

The Queen Charlotte Islands Vol. 2: Of Places and Names (Queen Charlotte Islands)
Haida Gwaii: Journeys Through the Queen Charlotte Islands
Haida Monumental Art: Villages of the Queen Charlotte Islands
Queen Charlotte Islands Map by ITMB (Travel Reference Map)
A Story as Sharp as a Knife: The Classical Haida Mythtellers and Their World (Masterworks of the Classical Haida Mythtellers)

ASIN: 0774803312

The Spirit of Haida Gwaii: Bill Reid's Masterpiece

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The Spirit of Haida Gwaii: Bill Reid's Masterpiece
Ulli Steltzer
Manufacturer: Univ of Washington Pr
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Sculpture | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

General | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

Haida Gwaii: Journeys Through the Queen Charlotte Islands
Solitary Raven: Selected Writings of Bill Reid
The Raven Steals the Light
Looking at Indian Art of the Northwest Coast
Northwest Coast Indian Painting: House Fronts and Interior Screens

ASIN: 0295976241

Haida Monumental Art: Villages of the Queen Charlotte Islands

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Haida Monumental Art: Villages of the Queen Charlotte Islands
George F. MacDonald , and Richard J. Huyda
Manufacturer: UBC Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Architecture | Professional & Technical | Subjects | Books

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General | Sculpture | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

General | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

Folk Art | Schools, Periods & Styles | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

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Similar Items:

Raven Travelling: Two Centuries of Haida Art
Haida Gwaii: Journeys Through the Queen Charlotte Islands
Listening to Our Ancestors: The Art of Native Life Along the Pacific Northwest Coast
Northern Haida Master Carvers
Chiefs of the Sea and Sky: Haida Heritage Sites of the Queen Charlotte Islands

ASIN: 077480484X

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Northern Haida Master Carvers
Robin Kathleen Wright
Manufacturer: University of Washington Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Sculpture | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

General | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

Raven Travelling: Two Centuries of Haida Art
Spirits of the Water: Native Art Collected on Expeditions to Alaska and British Columbia, 17741910
Haida Monumental Art: Villages of the Queen Charlotte Islands
Northwest Coast Indian Art: An Analysis of Form (Thomas Burke Memorial Washington State M)
Native Visions: Evolution in Northwest Coast Art from the Eighteenth Through the Twentieth Century

ASIN: 0295980842

Book Description

The art of the Haida of the Queen Charlotte Islands and Alaska ranks among the most sophisticated and spectacular art traditions of the world. While Haida art has long been recognized as central to the development of the highly formalized northern Northwest Coast style of design, it has often been viewed as somewhat static and anonymous. Robin K. Wright highlights for the first time the distinctive achievements of several of the most important Northern Haida artists and analyzes the art historical developments and stylistic changes in pole carving.

Northern Haida Master Carvers traces the making of monumental poles from the days of first white contact to the present, illuminating the variations in style that resulted from historical, cultural, and individual circumstances. Wright examines the work of the earliest named Haida pole carver, Sqiltcange, and separates the carvings that can be attributed to the legendary Albert Edward Edenshaw from the large body of work produced by his nephew, Charles Edenshaw. She discusses the legacy of the nineteenth-century artists carried on through the work of their twentieth and twenty-first century descendants and artistic heirs: Jim Hart, current holder of the name Edenshaw; Robert Davidson, Charles Edenshaw's great grandson; and Freda Diesing and Donald Yeomans, descendants of Simeon Stilthda.

In her impeccable and fascinating study, Wright masterfully interweaves the historical and artistic developments of a great sculptural tradition. The book belongs in the library of every Native American art historian, Northwest Coast anthropologist and historian, and indeed every person interested in or engaged in making Northwest Coast art. Its groundbreaking scholarship makes it the definitive work for serious students of this magnificent art.

Book Description

In recent years, the media has been awash in exuberant tales of the arrival of the information superhighway, when television will explode with exciting possibilities, offering some 500 channels as well as a marriage of TV and computer that will provide, on command, access to the latest movies, magazines, newspapers, books, sports events, stock exchange figures, your bank account, and much, much more. And the major TV networks, pundits add, will be doomed to extinction by this revolution in cable, computers, and fiber optics. But in Television Today and Tomorrow, Gene Jankowski--former President and Chairman of the CBS Broadcast Group--and David Fuchs--also a former top executive at CBS--tell a different story. They predict a bumpy road ahead for the information superhighway, and the major networks, they say, are abundantly healthy and will remain so well into the next century. The information superhighway, Jankowski and Fuchs admit, will dramatically increase the distribution channels, but it will have little impact on the amount of programming created--and this may spell disaster. The authors show how the networks began as a way to provide programs to local stations (who could not afford to produce their own), who in turn provided the distribution that gave networks access to mass audiences and ultimately large advertising dollars. They then offer us an inside look at television production--showing us, for instance, a veteran scriptwriter putting together a breakfast table scene for "Cloud Nine"--to underscore how much effort goes into producing just two minutes of primetime programming. They reveal that the present 20 channels require some 20,000 hours of programming each year, which is more than all the Broadway plays produced in this century, and they conclude that without a dramatic increase in programming (which won't happen if only because of the very finite supply of talent), the superhighway will be jammed bumper-to-bumper with reruns, old movies, and inexpensive programming aimed at tightly focused audiences ("narrowcasting" as opposed to "broadcasting"). This is hardly the bonanza the pundits have promised. The authors point out that the media blitz about the new technology has hardly focused on programming, or on funding, or on what needs these 500 channels will fill. The major networks, on the other hand, will remain the only means of reaching the whole country, and the only channels that offer a full schedule of current, live, and original programs, free of charge. And thus they will continue to attract most of the audience of TV viewers. The real loser in the cable revolution, the authors contend, is PBS, whose role as an alternative to network TV has been usurped by cable stations such as The Discovery Channel and Nickelodeon. This is a brass tacks look at television with an eye on the bottom line by two men who boast over sixty years of experience in the medium. If you want to understand television in America, where it came from and where it is going, you will need to read this book.

Television Today and Tomorrow : It Won't Be What You Think

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Television Today and Tomorrow : It Won't Be What You Think
Gene F.; Fuchs, David C. Jankowski
Manufacturer: Oxford University Press, USA
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OKDNC8

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