Northwest Coast Indian Art: An Analysis of Form

by Bill Holm

Book Overview

The masterworks of Northwest Coast Indians are admired today as among the great achievements of the world's primitive artisans. The painted and carved wooden screens, chests and boxes for storage and cooking, dishes, rattles, crest hats, and other ceremonial paraphernalia reveal a rare artistic virtuosity and document the unique involvement of these craftsmen with their environment. After many years of examining countless artifacts, from Bella Coola...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0295951028
• ISBN13: 9780295951027
• Release Date: June 1970
• Publisher: University of Washington Press
• Length: 133 Pages
• Weight: 0.78 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.4" x 7.4" x 9.2"

Customer Reviews

Amazing book!

I love looking at such interesting book. So impressed. Great condition.

Excellent first choice for the serious student

This book is simply the best resource for learning this art form. It does not describe the cultural roots of the art in any great detail, but if you want to really learn how to construct NW coast designs on your own, while staying within the tradition, this is your best choice. What I liked best about it was that it manages to be a scholarly and artistic, and the "analysis of form" both records the past and inspires the future. As others reviewers have stated, this is a book for the serious student, but even less serious ones will get more out of here than they will from the "Learning by Designing" series.

The best "academic" book on PNWC Artwork details

This book is a classic, and is invaluable for the serious student of Pacific Northwest Coast artwork. Note, however, that I emphasize the word "serious." If you are more of a beginner or casual observer, this book should be third on your list behind "Looking at Indian Art of the Northwest Coast" by Hilary Stewart and "Learning by Designing Pacific Northwest Coast Native Art, Vol. 1" by Gilbert and Clark.Although the book is easy to read and very well written, it has a decidely academic tone to it. Mr. Holm studied large numbers of authentic examples, and draws conclusions about patterns. For example, he points out that an ovoid within another ovoid (an "inner ovoid") is always placed either vertically centered OR closer to the top than the bottom. If it is placed closer to what appears to be the bottom, then it is because the artist is telling us that that particular part of the artwork is actually upside down. He then backs this up with data based on his researches. In other words, he "reverse engineered" the unwritten rules of how to do this type of artwork.But his focus is on details and small parts, not on the larger picture of how these elements are used by an artist to convey a message or depict something. There is almost no information on the myths and legends that the artwork is based on, nor on ways to discern between the various animals. Note that I do NOT say this as a criticism -- it is not a bad thing that the book does not contain such info! Plenty of other books do. This book has a specific purpose, which is to analyze the elements of the artform, and this book is unquestionably the best one on that topic. In fact, it is the ONLY one that goes into this level of detail. If you want to know why the Raven is often depicted with the Sun in his beak, this book is not for you. If you want to look at a drawing or totem pole and know which is a beaver and which is a bear, this book won't be much help. But if you want to know how and when and why to use blue as a tertiary color, or how wide a black formline should be at the top versus the bottom, this book is the one you want. If you can only buy one or two books on this artform (or even if you can buy more), start with the two I listed above. Then buy this one. It is a great book and worth buying, and once you have an understanding of the bigger picture, the undertsanding of the details provided by Holm is truly fascinating.

Authentic plus

If you are into authentic re NW American Indians, this ought to be your first choice. I've been in several museums in the NW and am most excited with the capturing of the art and spirit of the art and background. I am also a wood worker, soon to retire, and this book will let me afford true history I could not affort any other way.

A must buy for the serious artist or historian

For anyone who wants to make a serious study of the Coastal Indian Art. The author conducted the first and probably the only scientific study of the forms used in coastal carving. Well illustrated and covering the full range of Coastal Indian artifacts he provides a technical explaination of the formline and how it was modified. For the artist he discusses the ovid form providing templates and the rules that were followed in design. He also covers color and the rules followed in its use. This is the only source of information I have found that addresses itself to form. For a serious artist who desires to carve in this Coastal Indian style this text in an invaluable tool. Available in paperback it is sturdy enough to be used in the studio and used it will be!

The premier book on understanding NW Indian art.

This is the book that started it all. Bill Holm, while not a native, wrote a Master's thesis on the forms and functions he saw in the art of tribes from the Northwest Coast (from Neah Bay at the tip of Washington state up through Haines in SE Alaska). With the understanding of these stylized forms finally in print, both native and non-native artists came to see how Raven, Eagle, Bear, and other totem images could be portrayed and interwoven. This book is fundamental to understanding NW Indian art.