Challenging Traditions
Contemporary First Nations Art of the Northwest Coast
- Publisher
- Douglas & McIntyre
- Initial publish date
- Jun 2009
- Category
- Native American, Native American Studies
- Recommended Age
- 16
- Recommended Grade
- 11
-
Hardback
- ISBN
- 9781553654148
- Publish Date
- Jun 2009
- List Price
- $60.00
Classroom Resources
Where to buy it
Description
About the author
Ian M. Thom is a Senior Curator-Historical at the Vancouver Art Gallery. Involved in Canadian art museums for more than thirty years, he has also held senior curatorial positions at the Art Gallery of Greater Victoria and the McMichael Canadian Art Collection. He has organized more than one hundred exhibitions and written numerous articles and authored or co-authored many books, including Robert Davidson: Eagle of the Dawn, Andy Warhol: Images, Art BC, E.J. Hughes, Takao Tanabe, B.C. Binning, Emily Carr: New Perspectives on a Canadian Icon and Challenging Traditions: Contemporary First Nations Art of the Northwest Coast. He lives in Vancouver, BC.
Editorial Reviews
"[Ian M. Thom] invited the 40 artists surveyed to choose the works by which they wanted to be represented and he quoted them extensively, so that their individual voices emerge, loud and distinct."
Georgia Straight
"The pages are filled with pride and accomplishment as well as offering a First Nations history lesson, in the diversity of their artwork."
Shelf Life
"Concise, yet broad in scope, Challenging Traditions: Contemporary First Nations Art of the Northwest Coast offers an important introduction to aboriginal artists attempting to push the boundaries, to tell new stories in a variety of mediums and styles, responding to radical changes in the world while respecting and balancing the old and the new. Thom's language to describe the works is blessedly free of art speak, and it's inclusive and as plainspoken as most of his subjects. He has done a commendable job of representing their stories."
BC Bookworld
"A handsomely packaged coffee-table-book survey of Native American/First Nations artist from Canada and the U.S. whose riffs on their tribal heritage incorporate everything from abstract work to pop art to traditional design."
Seattle Times
"Challenging Traditions is a beautiful collection of essays about 40 of the most accomplished Northwest Coast artists (men and women) working today...What is clearly evident in all the portraits is that these artists are melding traditional ideas and images with contemporary materials, ideas, and techniques."
Multicultural Review
Librarian Reviews
Challenging Traditions: Contemporary First Nations Art of the Northwest Coast
This remarkable collection, compiled and discussed by Vancouver Art Gallery curator, Ian Thom, identifies modern Aboriginal artists of the Northwest coast and includes but is not limited to such influential names as Susan Point, Robert Davidson and Tony Hunt Jr. Artists were selected because they demonstrated “deeper artistic and cultural concerns” in addition to being master artists in their media. The artwork ranges from print making and watercolour to carving and weaving, to blown glass and bronze casting amongst other media. Along with the reproductions and photographs of each artist’s work is a brief and insightful synopsis of the professional life of the artist.The author wrote the awardwinning Emily Carr: new perspectives on a Canadian icon and B.C. Binning, Takao Tanabe, Gathie Falk and Gordon Smith.
Source: The Association of Book Publishers of BC. Canadian Aboriginal Books for Schools. 2009-2010.
