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
