Synopses & Reviews
In the flourishing ancient Indian communities of the American Southwest and northwest Mexico, master potters created ceramic arts that are considered among the most accomplished in the world. The symbolic imagery and distinctive local styles of the region are unmistakableand#151;simple volumetric shapes covered with complex, interlocking geometrical designs that are sometimes combined with bold abstract animal, human, and composite figures. Within this shared tradition are clearly identifiable local styles and symbolic vocabularies, and this lavishly illustrated book focuses on one of them: the ceramic works of the Casas Grandes-Paquimand#233; area of northwest Mexico and adjoining parts of New Mexico and Arizona, c. A.D. 1200and#150;1400.For the first time on a comprehensive scale, expert art historians and an artist-teacher discuss the complex imagery of approximately ninety Casas Grandes vessels with fifty pieces representing other major styles of the Greater Southwest. Superb examples show polychromatic designs of real and mythological animals, together with abstract human figures and remarkably varied geometries, demonstrating the imaginative complexity and exceptional achievement of the Casas Grandes potters. Certain motifs reflect affinities with distant Mesoamerica, yet the authors show that these forms were absorbed into a visual vocabulary that reflected the unique artistic and cosmological outlook of Casas Grandes, within the native Southwestern cultural tradition.
Review
and#8220;This chronicles pottery from a vanished civilization, telling much about a sophisticated people flourishing in remote desert landscapes. . . .Essential.and#8221;
Synopsis
Exhibition schedule:
- Art Institute of Chicago
(April 2 - June 18, 2006)
- Published in association with the Art Institute of Chicago
Synopsis
A fascinating exploration of the rich artistic heritage and beauty of Casas Grandes ceramics
Synopsis
A stunning survey of the indigenous art, architecture, and spiritual beliefs of the Americas, from the Precolumbian era to the 20th century
Synopsis
This definitive survey of the indigenous art, architecture, landscape, and spiritual beliefs of the Americasandmdash;from the Precolumbian era to the 20th centuryandmdash;also serves as the first comprehensive catalogue of the Art Institute of Chicagoandrsquo;s outstanding collection. and#160;
Synopsis
This landmark publication catalogues the Art Institute of Chicagoandrsquo;s outstanding collection of Indian art of the Americas, one of the foremost of its kind in the United States. Showcasing a host of previously unpublished objects dating from the Precolumbian era to the 20th century, the book marks the first time these holdings have been comprehensively documented. Richard Townsend weaves an overarching narrative that ranges from the Midwestern United States to the Yucatan Peninsula to the heart of South America. While exploring artistsandrsquo; myriad economic, historical, linguistic, and social backgrounds, he demonstrates that they shared both a deep, underlying cosmological view and the desire to secure their communitiesandrsquo; prosperity by affirming connections to the sacredand#160;forces of the natural world. The critical essays focus on topics that bridge traditions across North, Central, and South America, including materials, methods of manufacture, the diversity of stylistic features, and the iconography and functions of various objects. Gorgeously illustrated in color with more than 400 vibrant images, this handsome catalogue serves as the definitive survey of an unparalleled collection.
About the Author
Richard F. Townsend is curator of African and Amerindian Art at the Art Institute of Chicago.
Ken Kokrda is a ceramic artist and teacher and an expert on Casas Grandes pottery traditions.
Barbara Moulard is adjunct associate professor of art history at Arizona State University and the author of
Within the Underworld Sky: Mimbres Ceramic Art in Context (1984) and
Re-Creating the Word: Painted Ceramics of the Prehistoric Southwest (2002).