The most original and most powerful design art produced in the Western Hemisphere is also its most indigenous: that of the Indian; in innumerable cultures existing from prehistory to the arrival of the white man; reaching from the Arctic Circle to Tierra del Fuego. It owes; of course; nothing to Europe or the classical Orient. It is tremendous in variety; differing region by region; era by era; often tribe by tribe. It is always vigorously distinctive. This book; 20 years in preparation; shows us that art in all its profuse diversity and in the almost numberless crafts for which the American Indian is famous. Well over 700 examples; drawn with painstaking care; are shown: representations of flora and fauna; men and gods; earth and sky; symbols of clan and tribe; religion and magic; formal designs from the primal to the highly intricate. They appear in examples of basketry; weaving; pottery; sculpture; painting; lapidary work; masks; drumheads; weapons; apparel; beadwork; goldwork; blankets; ponchos; and many other forms. The arts and crafts of Inca; Tiahuanaco; Chimuacute;; Maya; Axtec; Zapotec; Totonac; Mixtec; Navaho; Zuni; Hopi; Apache; Cherokee; Creek; Winnebago; Dakota; Blackfoot; Nez Perceacute;; Cheyenne; Crow; Sioux; Cochiti; Haida; Bellacoola; and others known and unknown are here. Each section is preceded by a page of typical motifs of an area; making it easy to isolate the design elements. In addition; the lore and tradition behind the designs are told in a text reproducing the Indians own stories and songs. Separate indices simplify locating the work of particular tribes and regions. Craftspeople will find in this book a prolific source of timeless; eternally valid design ideas representing years of research in museums all over the hemisphere; for the graphic artist there is a wealth of material than can be adapted directly to his needs. All those interested in the Americans who preceded us on these continents will find this work unique.
#1093874 in eBooks 2013-03-21 2013-03-21File Name: B00A735EPQ
Review
11 of 17 people found the following review helpful. Author has good intentions but wants too much to be an art criticBy Jason GrayThe idea of a book that discusses the shadow in art and philosophy is a great foundation for a book; but the author fails to straddle that line well. If you are researching shadows in art; this book does cover many great examples and would be a nice starting point. However; the author only expresses his ideas through his critique of the art; making it difficult to grasp a clear thought.On the philosophy side; the author mentions Freud and Nietzsche; among others; but expects the reader to be fully versed in this topic and explains nothing. A glaring omission is Carl Jung and his "shadow" archetype. Not sure how one can write a book on shadows and philosophy and ignore Jung.