Bill Reid: Beyond the Essential Form

According to eminent French anthropologist Levi-Strauss, Reid"brought Northwest Coast art to the world scene, into dialoguewith the whole of mankind." In this artistic biography, KarenDuffek gives an account of Bill Reid's life and work and of hisrole as artist, innovator, and ambassador of Haida art. Afterdescribing the processes by which Reid came to reconstruct the formalrules of a complex artistic tradition, Duffek focuses on his mastery ofnew techniques, particularly in making jewellery, techniques whichothers now emulate. In the key chapter "Beyond the EssentialForm," she uses Reid's own categories of his work as"copies, adaptations and explorations," to give a candidappraisal of his artistic achievements -- from massive poles to goldboxes, from intricate bracelets to the great bronze Killerwhale statue.… (more)