Spirit of Haida Gwaii, The
Bill Reid's Masterpiece
- Publisher
- Douglas & McIntyre
- Initial publish date
- May 1997
- Category
- Canadian, Native American Studies
- Recommended Age
- 14
- Recommended Grade
- 9
-
Paperback / softback
- ISBN
- 9781550545791
- Publish Date
- May 1997
- List Price
- $15.95
Classroom Resources
Where to buy it
Description
Before he passed away, the Haida artist Bill Reid was internationally renowned for his totem poles and other large pieces, as well as for his work on a small scale in silver and gold. His masterpiece, The Spirit of Haida Gwaii, is a bronze canoe six metres (20 feet) long, filled to overflowing with the creatures of Haida mythology. Two copies of this extraordinary bronze casting exist, one in the Canadian Chancery in Washington, DC, and the other in the main foyer of the Vancouver International Airport.
Ulli Steltzer's superb black-and-white photographs record and reveal intimate insights into the creative process of this sculpture, as well as the parts and the whole of this monumental work. The story of the sculpture and of its creator, Bill Reid, is engagingly related by Robin Laurence. And Bill Reid's own descriptions of the creatures in the canoe provide glimpses into the mythic complexity and power of The Spirit of Haida Gwaii.
The story of the sculpture and of its creator, Bill Reid, is engagingly related by Robin Laurence. And Bill Reid's own descriptions of the creatures in the canoe provide glimpses into the mythic complexity and power of The Spirit of the Haida Gwaii.
About the authors
Ulli Steltzer's photographic studies of Native peoples, Princeton intellectuals, American migrant workers and the Cakchiquel of Guatamala have been shown in major exhibitions. Her books include Indian Artists at Work, Coast of Many Faces, Inuit, Spirit of the Haida Gwaii and Black Canoe.
Robin Laurence is an award-winning freelance writer, critic and curator based in Vancouver. She has a B.F.A. in studio arts and an M.A. in art history, and was educated at the University of Calgary, the University of Victoria, the Banff School of Fine Arts and the Instituto Allende in Mexico. She has written dozens of essays for local and regional galleries, and her articles on art have appeared in many magazines. Laurence was also visual arts critic for the Georgia Strait and the Vancouver Sun.
Librarian Reviews
The Spirit of Haida Gwaii: Bill Reid’s Masterpiece
This photographic essay records the making of Haida artist Bill Reid’s bronze sculpture, Spirit of Haida Gwaii. One of the canoes, full of mythic Haida travelers is installed at the Vancouver International Airport. The volume includes a description by Reid of what the characters in the sculpture mean to him and to Haida mythology and an essay by Robin Laurence that elaborates on the mythology, Reid’s biography and the complex process involved in making the piece. The photographs by noted photographer, Ulli Steltzer, show the process from the 1/6 scale clay model, the full scale clay then plaster covered steel frame, the rubber mold, the wax pattern and the final bronze casting.Source: The Association of Book Publishers of BC. Canadian Aboriginal Books for Schools. 2009-2010.
