Raven Travelling: Two Centuries of Haida Art by Peter Macnair, Daina Augaitis, Marianne Jones, Nika Collison, et al. Seattle, WA: University of Washington Press, 2008 (2006). Append.; illus.; 10.5 x 13.5 in.; 182 pp.; $39.95 (paper).
Reviewed by Timothy White. Reprinted from Shaman's Drum, Number 76.
Persons interested in traditional Northwest Coast arts will find that this lavishly illustrated volume, Raven Travelling: Two Centuries of Haida Art, provides an informative introduction to Haida arts and artists. The dramatic formlines and mythological content of Haida art have garnered it a reputation of being “world-class” indigenous art. However, as many Haida artists explain in this book, their work is, first and foremost, an expression of their traditional spiritual culture, and it is inspired by the dramatic land and sea shapes of Haida Gwaii, the Queen Charlotte Islands of Canada.
Raven Travelling was published in conjunction with a major exhibition celebrating the seventy-fifth anniversary of the Vancouver Art Gallery, but the book is much more than an exhibition catalog. The text of Rav
en Travelling, written by contemporary Haida artists, includes bilingual excerpts from ancient Raven myths; a poem and an essay on colonialization by legendary artist Bill Reid; reflections on the connections between Haida clans and art by actress and filmmaker Marianne Jones; a speech on reclaiming Haida culture and preserving the forests by artist Robert Davidson; an impassioned history of Haida Gwaii and its arts by curator Nika Collison; an overview by scholar Peter Macnair exploring the evolution of Haida art from house pole carvings to modern jewelry designs; and an account—told by two of the main participants, Vince Collison and Lucille Bell—of how the repatriation of Haida ancestral remains inspired a revival of traditional Haida crafts. The book also includes an interview with traditional weaver Isabel Rorick, as well as interviews with contemporary Haida artists Robert Davidson, Michael Nicoll Yahgulanaas, and Don Yeomans. In short, Haida art is seen as an integral part of Haida culture.
The volume offers stunning color photos of more than 140 Haida masterpieces created over the last two centuries. Readers interested in Northwest Coast art may recognize some items depicted in this volume, as these masterpieces have been featured in many books over the last decades. The objects range from traditional ceremonial items, such as carved raven bowls and a classic shaman’s raven rattle, to functional items, such as spruce-root baskets and bentcorner food containers. Some older items, including a basalt tobacco mortar (ca. 1500), were made by unidentified artists. However, several old items—including a totem pole model (ca. 1880), two argillite plates (ca. 1885 and 1890), and a Gagiid mask (ca. 1895)—were made by Charles Edenshaw, the master carver who popularized the tradition of incorporating classic Haida design motifs into the making of commercial items, and who was instrumental in inspiring a twentieth-century renaissance of Haida art in general. The book includes many examples of Haida dance items, including several old style dance masks made by John Gwaytihl (ca. 1880), two headdress frontlets made by Simeon Stilthda (ca. 1880), and a representative selection of creative modern dance masks by Robert Davidson, Reg Davidson, and Freda Diesing.
Some Shaman’s Drum readers may recognize the names of several artists featured in the book, from earlier reviews and articles published in this magazine. For example, in the Spring 1992 issue, the magazine published an article, “Bill Reid and the Spirit of Haida Gwaii,” by Robert Bringhurst, which described the creation of Reid’s monumental bronze sculpture, The Spirit of Haida Gwaii, also known as The Black Canoe, currently displayed at the Canadian Embassy in Washington, D.C.
Timothy White is founding editor of Shaman’s Drum and a painter.
Reviewed by Timothy White. Reprinted from Shaman's Drum, Number 76.
Persons interested in traditional Northwest Coast arts will find that this lavishly illustrated volume, Raven Travelling: Two Centuries of Haida Art, provides an informative introduction to Haida arts and artists. The dramatic formlines and mythological content of Haida art have garnered it a reputation of being “world-class” indigenous art. However, as many Haida artists explain in this book, their work is, first and foremost, an expression of their traditional spiritual culture, and it is inspired by the dramatic land and sea shapes of Haida Gwaii, the Queen Charlotte Islands of Canada.
Raven Travelling was published in conjunction with a major exhibition celebrating the seventy-fifth anniversary of the Vancouver Art Gallery, but the book is much more than an exhibition catalog. The text of Rav
en Travelling, written by contemporary Haida artists, includes bilingual excerpts from ancient Raven myths; a poem and an essay on colonialization by legendary artist Bill Reid; reflections on the connections between Haida clans and art by actress and filmmaker Marianne Jones; a speech on reclaiming Haida culture and preserving the forests by artist Robert Davidson; an impassioned history of Haida Gwaii and its arts by curator Nika Collison; an overview by scholar Peter Macnair exploring the evolution of Haida art from house pole carvings to modern jewelry designs; and an account—told by two of the main participants, Vince Collison and Lucille Bell—of how the repatriation of Haida ancestral remains inspired a revival of traditional Haida crafts. The book also includes an interview with traditional weaver Isabel Rorick, as well as interviews with contemporary Haida artists Robert Davidson, Michael Nicoll Yahgulanaas, and Don Yeomans. In short, Haida art is seen as an integral part of Haida culture.The volume offers stunning color photos of more than 140 Haida masterpieces created over the last two centuries. Readers interested in Northwest Coast art may recognize some items depicted in this volume, as these masterpieces have been featured in many books over the last decades. The objects range from traditional ceremonial items, such as carved raven bowls and a classic shaman’s raven rattle, to functional items, such as spruce-root baskets and bentcorner food containers. Some older items, including a basalt tobacco mortar (ca. 1500), were made by unidentified artists. However, several old items—including a totem pole model (ca. 1880), two argillite plates (ca. 1885 and 1890), and a Gagiid mask (ca. 1895)—were made by Charles Edenshaw, the master carver who popularized the tradition of incorporating classic Haida design motifs into the making of commercial items, and who was instrumental in inspiring a twentieth-century renaissance of Haida art in general. The book includes many examples of Haida dance items, including several old style dance masks made by John Gwaytihl (ca. 1880), two headdress frontlets made by Simeon Stilthda (ca. 1880), and a representative selection of creative modern dance masks by Robert Davidson, Reg Davidson, and Freda Diesing.
Some Shaman’s Drum readers may recognize the names of several artists featured in the book, from earlier reviews and articles published in this magazine. For example, in the Spring 1992 issue, the magazine published an article, “Bill Reid and the Spirit of Haida Gwaii,” by Robert Bringhurst, which described the creation of Reid’s monumental bronze sculpture, The Spirit of Haida Gwaii, also known as The Black Canoe, currently displayed at the Canadian Embassy in Washington, D.C.
Timothy White is founding editor of Shaman’s Drum and a painter.
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