Indian Basketry Artists of the Southwest: Deep Roots, New Growth (Contemporary Indian Artists) [Paperback]

Susan Brown McGreevy (Author)

Book Description

Series: Contemporary Indian Artists Series | Publication Date: May 1, 2001

Exploring the history and the current renaissance of basket making in the Native American Southwest, this lavishly illustrated volume features the work and words of the contemporary basket makers that participated in a Convocation at the School of American Research. The basket makers range in age from twenty-one to eighty-two and represent the Akimel O'odham, Apache, Hopi, Navajo, Pueblo, and Tohono O'odham tribes.

Editorial Reviews

Review

Anthropologist Susan Brown McGreevy is a renowned authority on the Indian basketry traditions of the Southwest… This lovely book celebrates the contemporary status of the ancient art form. --Alice Auer Connor, The Bloomsbury Review (November/December 2001)

Product Details

• Paperback: 96 pages
• Publisher: School of American Research Press; First Edition edition (May 1, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0933452675
• ISBN-13: 978-0933452671
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 8.9 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #584,840 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Basket Planner, March 20, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: Indian Basketry Artists of the Southwest: Deep Roots, New Growth (Contemporary Indian Artists) (Paperback)

The elders are on the front line mixing new ideas into old, at the School of American Research meeting for INDIAN BASKETRY ARTISTS OF THE SOUTHWEST. The area still is known for making baskets and pottery. Coiled or plaited or very old twined, the baskets take more time to make.

They also are one of the strongest parts of southwestern cultures, now and back when. Specifically, Hopi indians draw on the oldest known tradition, going back 1,500 years. Generally, southwestern baskets have been popular outside the area, since 1821. The opening of the Santa Fe trail started up some heavy duty trading with the world outside the southwest.

No energy- or time-saving equipment is used, not now or then. But some modern tools can be used. Helpers are tin lids, scissors, pruning shears, knives, fingernail clippers and awls.

But baskets still are made from many of the same old plant parts. Some of the materials are yucca, horsehair or cattail stems for coiling; sunflower seeds for black dye; sumac bush for twining; kaolin clay for natural white to show better; and alder bark for tan, red or brown dyes. Finding them is getting harder, what with plants losing ground to highways, subdivisions and hard-to-predict weather.

It impresses me that each southwestern culture keeps up a different way to start and end baskets. So finely twined baskets are western Apache. They still are needed in the sunrise ceremony, for a girl's coming-of-age. Red willow bowl baskets are made from sacred Rio Grande plants, for Pueblo basket dances. They often hang on the wall, as decoration, between uses. And sumac splints sewn on a triangular 3-rod foundation, with a false braid or herringbone finish, go into Navajo wedding baskets.

Also interestingly, baskets, like other parts of southwestern cultures, tie past, present and future together. This happens with traditional designs. So one favorite design of first man placing stars keeps alive part of the Navajo Genesis. Likewise, another favorite design of a turtle surrounded by clouds and thunder calls to mind the highly successful Hopi rain ceremony.

This well-written book gets to the point, with helpful comments from the artists and with pretty pictures. There's space for it on the shelf with Kathryn N Bernick's BASKETRY AND CORDAGE FROM HESQUIAT HARBOR, Mary Dodds Schlick's COLUMBIA RIVER BASKETRY, and Rachel Nash Law and Cynthia W Taylor's APPALACHIAN WHITE OAK BASKETMAKING.

5.0 out of 5 stars Very nice little book on contemporary Indian baskets, February 26, 2011

By 

Peter D. Tillman (Taos, NM USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Indian Basketry Artists of the Southwest: Deep Roots, New Growth (Contemporary Indian Artists) (Paperback)

In 1997 the School of American Research organized a meeting in Santa Fe of ten currently-active basketmakers (8 women and 2 men), each of whom were also commissioned to make a basket for SAR's permanent collection. This little book was the result, and it's a winner. One of SAR's Contemporary Indian Artists series, the book includes a nice capsule biography of each artist and photos of their work, including the commissioned basket. There's also a bit of historical background, and some nice photos from the meeting, with comments by the participants. All in all, a very attractive and successful package, well-worth checking out.

You might also find Indian Painters of the Southwest: The Deep Remembering (Contemporary Indian Artists), in the same series, to be of interest. It's of comparable high quality.

Happy reading--
Peter D. Tillman