Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1139665 in Books
• Published on: 2004-09-24
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 112 pages

Customer Reviews

One of the two best books available on the topic
I wanted to dabble in this form of artwork, so starting in the mid-1980's I bought EVERY book I could find on the topic (I currently have in excess of 160, including some going back to the late 1700's). This book was one of the first I bought and it remains one of my favorites. This book is absolutely outstanding, especially for someone new to the artform.

It overviews the native cultures and tribes, provides info about style difference among tribes, covers the components of the art style, and gives lots of great visual examples, including some good basic info about the symbolism of the elements. It is very successful in giving enough detail to be useful without giving so much that it gets complicated or boring.

Regardless of your interest in this artform, whether you just want one book to learn a little or a "first book" to help you get deeply into it, in my opinion this remains the best one to buy.

If you want to do this sort of artwork, buy this book to get a good basic understanding, then buy "Nothwest Coast Indian Art: an Analysis of Form" by Bill Holm for a deeper understanding of the elements, and "Learning by Designing" Volumes 1 and 2 by Gilbert and Clark for more help with how to actually do it.

Educational...
The book does a very good job of going through the basic form and function of the lines, shapes and colors used in Northwest art and the similarities between the various tribes along the Pacific Coast. It also teaches one how to recognize an extremely abstract form and identify it based upon the few similar characteristics found for any animal or figure, no matter what shape or tribe it came from. All in all a very good reference book for a beginner trying to figure out the way of the coastal natives' art.

Great details and good reading...
Through well-detailed photographs and drawings, this book provides a nice introduction to Northwest tribal art. It uses examples of two- and three-dimensional works of art to explain the meanings and symbolism behind the animal motifs. You will quickly learn to recognize the ovoid, and S and U shapes that are characteristic to the art form. It also explains stylistic differences between the different cultural groups. I used this book on a trip through the Northwest and it really enriched my experience.