Transforming Image: Northwest Coast First Nations Art

Robert Davidson describes an amazing collection of paintings by Northwest Coast artists that allow viewers to delve into the creativity, energy, and depths achieved by these artists. The Transforming Image, originally published two decades ago, has become an essential resource for scholars and enthusiasts of Northwest Coast art, as well as for First Nations artists who rely on its plethora of images and ideas. A new edition of this groundbreaking book now brings its invaluable discoveries back into the spotlight. Featuring hundreds of photographs of historical Indigenous artworks, now scattered across collections worldwide, the book showcases the remarkable outcome of the Museum of Anthropology's Image Recovery Project. This project utilized infrared photography to unveil paintings on aging Northwest Coast objects, previously hidden by patina. Over twenty years, the project gathered nearly a thousand distinct paintings and collaborated with contemporary First Nations artists to reconstruct the compositions and unravel their original meanings. The authors provide insightful and captivating commentary on these rediscovered artworks, shedding new light on Northwest Coast First Nations painting techniques, materials, imagery, and the creativity passed down by generations of ancestor artists. A new preface by Karen Duffek acknowledges the impact of the book and how it has influenced the direction of contemporary First Nations artists and scholars, guiding them towards innovative and compelling artistic paths.

product information: