Synopses & Reviews
Spirit of Haida Gwaii is one of the great sculptural masterpieces of our time. It was created by artist Bill Reid, who has spent his life helping to resurrect the artistic traditions of his Haida forebears while honoring the European art tradition and techniques in which he was trained. Full-size versions of the sculpture are on display at the Canadian embassy in Washington, DC; the new Vancouver International Airport; and the Canadian Museum of Civilization.
The Spirit of Haida Gwaii is a canoe eighteen feet long, filled to overflowing with the creatures of Haida mythology -- Raven, Eagle, Grizzly and his human wife, Mouse Woman, and Dogfish Woman. At its center stands a human being holding an ancient staff in which the story of creation is told.
Synopsis
Elegant and evocative, this is a classic that pays tribute to one of the great sculptural works of this century.
The artist Bill Reid, who is part Haida, is internationally renowned for his totem poles and other large pieces, as well as for his work on a small scale in silver and gold. His masterpiece, The Spirit of Haida Gwaii, is a bronze canoe six meters (20 feet) long, filled to overflowing with the creatures of Haida mythology. Its ten passengers include the Raven, the Eagle, the Bear and his human wife, the Mouse Woman and the Dogfish Woman. In the middle stands the Chief holding in his hand a smaller sculpture: a talking stick that depicts the story of creation in Haida terms.
Ulli Steltzers superb black-and-white photographs record and reveal intimate insights into the creative process of this sculpture, as well as the parts and the whole of this monumental work. The story of the sculpture and of its creator, Bill Reid, is engagingly related by Robin Laurence. And Bill Reids own descriptions of the creatures in the canoe provide glimpses into the mythic complexity and power of The Spirit of Haida Gwaii.
Synopsis
Elegant and evocative, this is a classic that pays tribute to one of the great sculptural works of this century.
The artist Bill Reid, who is part Haida, is internationally renowned for his totem poles and other large pieces, as well as for his work on a small scale in silver and gold. His masterpiece, The Spirit of Haida Gwaii, is a bronze canoe six meters (20 feet) long, filled to overflowing with the creatures of Haida mythology. Its ten passengers include the Raven, the Eagle, the Bear and his human wife, the Mouse Woman and the Dogfish Woman. In the middle stands the Chief holding in his hand a smaller sculpture: a talking stick that depicts the story of creation in Haida terms.
Ulli Steltzers superb black-and-white photographs record and reveal intimate insights into the creative process of this sculpture, as well as the parts and the whole of this monumental work. The story of the sculpture and of its creator, Bill Reid, is engagingly related by Robin Laurence. And Bill Reids own descriptions of the creatures in the canoe provide glimpses into the mythic complexity and power of The Spirit of Haida Gwaii.