Beyond Tradition: Contemporary Indian Art and Its Evolution

Flagstaff, Arizona, U.S.A.: Northland Publishing Company, 1988. First Edition . Hard Back. Very Good/Very Good. 9" X 12. Jacka, Jerry - Photographs. 206 Pages. Introduction by Clara Lee Tanner. Dust jacket has some shelf scuffs and edge wear and the price of $55 is unclipped. Beautiful black boards with bronze embossed lettering and decorations. Black endpapers. Native American artists today walk a pathway that has been traveled for thousands of years. In their memories lie the traditions of their ancestors, in their visions lie the horizons of the future. But as time-honored art forms are interprested in contemporary designs and revolutionary colors, cultural heritage is never far beneatht he surface. From that heritage comes important characteristics that make up each individual. From ancestors they receive artistic talent, from their culture, inspiration. And from somewhere deep within comes the courage and tenacity to pursue their dreams. Imagine the colors of the sky, the earth, the rainbow. Imagine them captured on canvas, on clay, in wool, on wood, in silver, gold, and bronze. Imagine them all, and see them in this book, one of the first to collect in one volume the artistic extensions of Native American culture as well as contemporary fine art created by people from a wide variety of native cultures: Hopi, Navajo, Tohono O'odham, Apache, Santa Clara, Santo Domingo, Acoma, Zuni, Turtle Mountain Chippewa, Comanche, Sac/Fox, Kiowa, and many more. The evolution and inspiration for these art forms are clearly discussed, as are the works of individual artists. This is a sensitive, selective, and highly refined collection of some of the best work being created today by individuals who are dreamers and visionaries. Contents in Five Chapters: Time of Change, Enduring Traditions, New Horizons, In Harmony With Nature, and Dreams and Visions. Preface and Index to Art are included. The authors are well known as a husband-and-wife, photographer-writer team specializing in the study of American Indians and their art. Jerry's photographic work spans some 35 years and has been published worldwide. He has produced five books and four special issues of Arizona Highways magazine. Lois Jacka is the author of the special April 1986 Arizona Highways issue on Native American fine art and a respected writer on the subject. Large heavy book that may incur addtional shipping charges to some locations.