Friday, August 24, 2018

Itty Bitty Book Review: "Indian Artists at Work"

"Indian Artists at Work" by Ulli Seltzer


Steltzer died recently and I read an article about her in the Sun. She sounded like a pretty interesting person and photographer. She recorded the names of the artists in her photographs as up until then, works were identified only as Haida, Salish, etc. What I really liked about this collection of photographs of artists and their work was she made no commentary and just used the artists' words.  It was a very effective way to present the artwork.

I've put a hold on this one and look forward to learning more about this fabulous sculpture that I pass in the Vancouver International Airport all the time. It really is amazing.



"Spirit of Haida Gwaii is one of the great sculptural masterpieces of our time. It was created by artist Bill Reid, who has spent his life helping to resurrect the artistic traditions of his Haida forebears while honoring the European art tradition and techniques in which he was trained. Full-size versions of the sculpture are on display at the Canadian embassy in Washington, DC; the new Vancouver International Airport; and the Canadian Museum of Civilization.The Spirit of Haida Gwaii is a canoe eighteen feet long, filled to overflowing with the creatures of Haida mythology -- Raven, Eagle, Grizzly and his human wife, Mouse Woman, and Dogfish Woman. At its center stands a human being holding an ancient staff in which the story of creation is told."