Review by Choice Review
In a unique pairing, the artistic jewelry of the Pacific Northwest and of the Southwest are equals in creativity, design, and materials in this exhibition catalog. Rich, detailed information about tribal traditions and art history is well presented. Excellent maps are provided to guide the reader to the exact areas of jewelry manufacture in both regions. This exhibition was part of a cultural exchange program in 2000 that brought together artists from the north with those from Arizona and New Mexico. Philosophy, the idea of an "organic whole," and universality are explored with this jewelry. Contemporary artists use ancestral imagery with modern materials, as in the work of Dorothy Grant (Haida). The Southwest is replete with artists of enormous talent, including Jesse Monongya (Navajo/Hopi) of the Water Flow Clan in Arizona. He created a bracelet so intricate that it evolves from a closed view that, by means of the hinged shell of a turtle, opens up into a world of the Hopi. Nine different metals and gems were used for this piece. The text is augmented with a generous number of sumptuous color plates of the people and their art. ^BSumming Up: Highly recommended. General readers; lower-division undergraduates through faculty. M. Watson University of Oklahoma
Copyright American Library Association, used with permission.