In the Spirit of the Ancestors celebrates the vitality of contemporary Pacific Northwest Coast art by showcasing a selection of objects from the Burke Museum's collection of more than 2,400 late-twentieth- and early-twenty-first-century Native American works.

Essays focus on contemporary art while exploring the important historical precedents on which so many artists rely for training and inspiration. Margaret Blackman reflects on building one of the largest collections of Northwest Coast serigraphs, and Joe David reminisces about his artistic journey through mask-making. Shaun Peterson, Lisa Telford, and Evelyn Vanderhoop discuss the historical precedents for working in styles that were kept alive only by a few critical artists and are now making a comeback. Robin K. Wright explores the history of box drums and their revival. Emily Moore discusses the repatriation of two stolen house posts and proposes a new concept of "propatriation" to describe the resulting commissioning of contemporary posts to take their place. Kathryn Bunn-Marcuse explores the power of adornment and how clothing, jewelry, and personal adornments like tattooing express tribal and personal identity in ways both connected to the past and grounded in the present.

The diversity of approaches presented by these contributors speaks to artists, collectors, academics, tribal communities, and all those interested in Pacific Northwest Coast art. Splendid color photographs of works never before published will delight everyone.

Watch the trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E15hbqvHo4w&list=UUge4MONgLFncQ1w1C_BnHcw&index=7&feature=plcp

About the Author

Robin K. Wright is curator of Native American art at the Burke Museum, director of the Bill Holm Center for the Study of Northwest Coast Art, and professor of art history at the University of Washington, Seattle. She is the author of Northern Haida Master Carvers. Kathryn Bunn-Marcuse is assistant director of the Bill Holm Center for the Study of Northwest Coast Art.

Reviews

"In the Spirit of the Ancestors is a beautifully illustrated book that celebrates the strength and diversity of Northwest Coast cultural expressions. . . . [T]his is an engaging addition to the scholarship addressing contemporary Northwest Coast art and will be of interest to scholars, artists, and the general public."

-- Megan A. Smetzer * Pacific Northwest Quarterly *

"The essays are replete with colour illustrations of the objects discussed and studied, and the last fifty pages offer a portfolio of near full-page images of additional pieces. The editors are to be congratulated for including the voices of the Indigenous creators and giving the same coverage to textiles and basketry that historically has been given to sculpture, engraving, and graphic work."

-- Alan Hoover * BC Studies *



Book Information
ISBN 9780295995212
Author Robin K. Wright
Format Paperback
Page Count 168
Imprint University of Washington Press
Publisher University of Washington Press
Weight(grams) 726g