Miniature canoes, houses and totems, and human figurines have been
produced on the Northwest Coast since at least the sixteenth century.
What motivates Indigenous artists to produce these tiny artworks? Are
they curios, toys, art, or something else? So Much More Than Art is an
original exploration of this intricate cultural pursuit. Through case
studies and conversations with contemporary Indigenous artists, Jack
Davy uncovers the ways in which miniaturization has functioned as a
subtle form of communication and, since contact, resistance in the
face of aggressive colonization. His interviewees dismiss the
persistent assertion running through studies of material culture that
miniatures were no more than toys for children or souvenir trinkets.
They are in fact crucial components of satirical opposition to
colonial government, preservation of traditional techniques, and
political and legal negotiation. This nuanced study of a hitherto
misunderstood practice convincingly demonstrates the importance of
miniaturization as a technique for communicating complex cultural
ideas between generations and communities, and across the divide that
separates Indigenous and settler societies. So Much More Than Art is
also a testament to the resilience of the Indigenous peoples of the
Northwest Coast.
Les mer
Indigenous Miniatures of the Pacific Northwest
Produktdetaljer
ISBN
9780774866583
Publisert
2021
Utgiver
University of British Columbia Press
Språk
Product language
Engelsk
Format
Product format
Digital bok
Forfatter