What Art and Music Did Northwest Coast Indians Make

Totem Poles, a blazon of Northwest Declension art

Northwest Coast fine art is the term commonly applied to a style of art created primarily by artists from Tlingit, Haida, Heiltsuk, Nuxalk, Tsimshian, Kwakwaka'wakw, Nuu-chah-nulth and other Commencement Nations and Native American tribes of the Northwest Declension of Due north America, from pre-European-contact times up to the present.

Distinguishing characteristics [edit]

Namgis, Thunderbird Transformation Mask, 19th century. The Thunderbird is believed to be an Ancestral Sky Being of the Namgis clan of the Kwakwaka'wakw, who say that when this bird ruffles its feathers, it causes thunder and when it blinks its eyes, lightning flashes. Brooklyn Museum

Ii-dimensional Northwest Declension art is distinguished by the employ of formlines, and the use of characteristic shapes referred to as ovoids, U forms and Due south forms. Before European contact, the virtually common media were woods (often Western ruby cedar), stone, and copper; since European contact, paper, sail, drinking glass, and precious metals have also been used. If paint is used, the most common colours are cherry and blackness, but yellow is also often used, particularly amid Kwakwaka'wakw artists.^[1] Chilkat weaving applies formline designs to textiles. Tlingit, Haida, and Tsimshian have traditionally produced Chilkat woven regalia, from wool and yellow cedar bawl, that is important for civic and ceremonial events, including potlatches.

The patterns depicted include natural forms such equally bears, ravens, eagles, orcas, and humans; legendary creatures such equally thunderbirds and sisiutls; and abstract forms made up of the characteristic Northwest Declension shapes. Totem poles are the most well-known artifacts produced using this fashion. Northwest Declension artists are also notable for producing characteristic "aptitude-corner" or "bentwood" boxes, masks, and canoes. Northwest Coast designs were as well used to decorate traditional First Nations household items such as spoons, ladles, baskets, hats, and paddles; since European contact, the Northwest Coast art mode has increasingly been used in gallery-oriented forms such equally paintings, prints and sculptures.

Mary Ebbets Hunt - Chilkat blanket

Although highly conventionalized decorative pattern occurs all along the coast, to the south and north of this heart the representational motive becomes progressively stronger. Krickeberg (1925: 144) characterizes this every bit a fresh naturalism to the south amid the Kwakiutl, Nootka, and Salish and a sure relationship to Eskimo engraving and painting among the Tlingit to the due north. The shift in emphasis is gradual - Bella Bella art, for case, has a close affinity to its Coast Tsimshian counterpart. Two-dimensional art of all these groups, however, is much more closely related than is their sculpture, especially amidst the northern tribes of Tlingit, Haida, Tsimshian, and Bella Bella.^[ii]

Textile arts from the Northwest Declension include Chilkat weaving, Raven's Tail Weavings, Button Blankets, and elaborate formalism regalia using a range of materials. Iii dimension art was created from many materials, notably wood.

History [edit]

Prior to contact with Europeans, Starting time Nations on the Northwest coast evolved complex social and ceremonial institutions, including the potlatch organization, hereditary systems of rank and descent, formalism societies, and permanent villages. Social organization involved groups of kin, reckoned variously matrilineally, patrilineally or bi-lineally. These groups agree various tangible and intangible rights and properties. Amidst them are origin stories. Many instances of Northwest coast fine art are visual references to these stories.

After European contact, in the tardily 18th century, the peoples who produced Northwest Declension art suffered huge population losses due to diseases such equally smallpox, and cultural losses due to colonization and assimilation into European-North American culture. The production of their art dropped drastically every bit well.

Toward the cease of the 19th century, Northwest Coast artists began producing piece of work for commercial sale, such as small argillite carvings. The end of the 19th century also saw large-calibration consign of totem poles, masks and other traditional art objects from the region to museums and individual collectors around the world. Some of this export was accompanied past financial compensation to people who had a correct to sell the art, and some was not.

In the early 20th century, very few Offset Nations artists in the Northwest Coast region were producing art. A tenuous link to older traditions remained in artists such as Charles Gladstone, Henry Speck, Ellen Neel, Stanley George, and Mungo Martin. The mid-20th century saw a revival of interest and production of Northwest Coast art, due to the influence of artists and academics such as Bill Reid (a grandson of Charles Gladstone) and Neb Holm. A revival of traditional ceremonial ways also drove the increased production of traditional arts. This time also saw an increasing demand for the render of art objects that were illegally or immorally taken from Get-go Nations communities. This demand continues to the nowadays day. Today, there are numerous art schools teaching formal Northwest Coast art of various styles, and at that place is a growing market for new art in this style.^[iii]

The revival of ceremonial life, post-obit the lifting of the potlatch ban - accept also driven production of traditional clothing, painting and carving for use in ceremonies.

Cultural ceremoniousness [edit]

Although neighbouring peoples such as the Coast Salish peoples too traditionally produced art which shares some characteristics of Northwest Coast art, these styles of art are not usually included in the term, since the patterns and artifacts produced are rather dissimilar. For example, Salish peoples traditionally created standing welcome figures not created by other Northwest Coast peoples, did not traditionally create totem poles, and did non traditionally use the form lines and shapes of other Northwest Declension peoples.^[5] One corollary of this fact is that — opposite to pop belief — other than some of the peoples of the Olympic Peninsula, no Native American nations of Washington and Oregon states produced totem poles and other feature, formline, Northwest Coast-style art objects before European contact.^{[half dozen]}

Traditionally, inside a given community, some patterns and motifs could exist used only past sure families and lineages, or with the agreement of those families and lineages. Today, in British Columbia, information technology is a point of contention whether only Start Nations artists of the appropriate nation have the moral right to produce art of given types and using given motifs, or whether only the intent of the person and the respect given to the respective peoples are significant. Likewise, in Ontario, similar controversies have arisen over whether not-Native artists take the moral correct to brand use of Native motifs and visual fine art styles.^[7] Some not-Native artists, such as John Livingston, have been adopted into Get-go Nations and take thus formally acquired the correct to produce such art.^[1] In some nations, such as the Haida, adoptions are seen by some only equally gestures, and product of work in their trademark style by outsiders may, in some contexts, be viewed as economic and cultural appropriation.^{[ commendation needed ]}

Notable artists [edit]

Notable Northwest Coast artists of the 19th century include- Albert Edward Edenshaw^[8] (Haida), Helm Carpenter^[ix] (Heiltsuk), Willie Seaweed (Kwakwak'wakw), Charles Edenshaw, who is widely best-selling as a master whose art is in all the not bad collections around the globe.

Too Guujaaw, another notable carver and architect who is besides Haida politician. Other notable Northwest Coast artists of the 20th and 21st centuries include Charlie James, Henry Speck, Doug Cranmer, Stanley George, James Schoppert, Bill Reid, Mungo Martin, Ellen Neel, Robert Davidson, Beau Dick, Willie Seaweed, Roy Henry Vickers, Don Yeomans, Jay Simeon, Amos Wallace, Lyle Wilson, Sam (Sammy) Robinson, Ron Hamilton, Art Thompson, Joe David, Reginald Peterson,^[x] Freda Diesing, Lawrence Paul Yuxweluptun, and Tony Chase.

Notable art historians and thinkers [edit]

Notable academics and publishers of northwest Northwest Coast include Bill Holm, Bill Reid, Hilary Stewart, Neb McLennan, Martha Black, and George F. MacDonald. Doreen Jensen and Polly Sargent's book Robes of Power (1986) deals with formalism robes - called Button coating - and their history and forms. Cheryl Samuel and her volume The Raven's Tail (1987) describes northern weaving style known equally Raven'southward Tail - used to brand ceremonial robes and other regalia.

Emily Carr, though she did not formally adopt the techniques, commonly used native art as the motif of many of her early on paintings.

See also [edit]

• Alaska Native fine art
• Push button coating
• Chilkat weaving
• Coast Salish fine art
• Formline art
• Haida argillite carvings
• Kwakwaka'wakw art
• Native American art
• Potlatch
• Totem pole
• Transformation mask

Notes [edit]

1. ^ ^{a b} Bill Holm, Northwest Coast Indian Fine art: An Assay of Class. Academy of Washington Press, Seattle, 1965
2. ^ Holm, Pecker. Northwest Coast Indian Art: An analysis of Form. Thomas Burke Memorial Washington Country Museum Monograph No. ane. Douglas & McIntyre. Vancouver/Toronto. 1965. p. 20. ISBN 0-88894-172-2
3. ^ Jonathan Meuli. Shadow House: Interpretations of Northwest Coast Art ISBN 90-5823-083-X
4. ^ "Tommy Joseph." Archived 2009-06-15 at the Wayback Car Alaska Native Artists. (retrieved 27 Dec 2009
5. ^ Hilary Stewart. Looking at Totem Poles. Douglas & McIntyre, Vancouver/Toronto, 1993
6. ^ Hilary Stewart,Looking at Indian Art of the Northwest Coast. Douglas & McIntyre, Vancouver/Toronto, 19795
7. ^ Nasser, Shanifa. "Toronto gallery cancels testify after concerns artist 'bastardizes' Ethnic art". CBC . Retrieved 21 September 2018.
8. ^ MacDonald, George F. Haida Art. Joe Wilson. University of Washington Printing. Seattle. 1996. p.p. 211-212. ISBN 0-295-97561-X
9. ^ McLennan, Pecker and Karen Duffek. The Transforming Image: Painted Arts of the Northwest Coast First Nations. UBC Press. 2000. ISBN 0-7748-0427-0
10. ^ Fair, Susan W. (2006). Alaska native art : tradition, innovation, continuity. Fairbanks, Alas.: Univ. of Alaska Press. ISBN1-889963-79-viii.

References [edit]

• Halpin, Marjorie M. (1981). Totem Poles: An Illustrated Guide . Vancouver: University of British Columbia Press.
• Jensen, Doreen; Sargent, Polly. Robes of Power: Totem Poles on Cloth. ISBN0-7748-0264-2.
• Jonaitis, Aldona; Boas, Franz. A Wealth of Idea: Franz Boas on Native American Fine art . ISBN0-295-97325-0.
• MacDonald, George F. (1996). Haida Fine art. Seattle: University of Washington Press. pp. 211–212. ISBNane-550-54402-0.
• McLennan, Pecker; Duffek, Karen (2000). The Transforming Image: Painted Arts of the Northwest Coast First Nations. UBC Press. ISBN0-7748-0427-0.
• Ostrowitz, Judith. Privileging the Past. University of Washington Press. ISBN0-295-97814-7.

Further reading [edit]

• Malin, Edward (1999). Northwest Coast Indian Painting: Firm Fronts and Interior Screens. Timber Printing. ISBN978-0-88192-471-8.
• Duff, Wilson (1964). The Indian History of British Columbia: Volume 1 The Impact of the White Man. Province of British Columbia Section of Recreation and Conservation.

External links [edit]

• Nib Holm Middle for the Study of Northwest Coast Fine art at the Burke Museum
• Reciprocal Research Network

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Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northwest_Coast_art

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