Customer Reviews

Jesse Monongya: Opal Bears and Lapis Skies (American Indian Master Jewelers)

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

I am a bit of a novice who has recently become interested in contemporary Native American jewelry and received this book as a gift. What I can say is that Opal Bears and Lapis Skies was an incredible treat to receive and I have found myself frequently going back to it to learn more about this artist. His volume of work is quite impressive and beautifully displayed in this book.

What I think works most effectively with this book is that for someone like myself, who is still familiarizing myself with this craft, I found it instantly appealing and understandible. One particularly notable quality of this book is how it works on several different levels of familiarity with this type of jewelry. Friends of mine with little knowledge of this craft have picked it up merely to page through it and have been able to quickly develop an appeciation for the struggles Jesse has gone through (many that we're all familiar with) and how he has been able to transform these motivations into an amazing talent. I found the information on his background particularly interesting and valuable, helping me place his pieces in a greater context.

I can imagine that this book is even more valuable to anyone who appreciates this type of jewelry and the talent and skill behind the pieces featured. I find myself learning something new each time I look through this book--the pieces shown are beautiful and many are truly amazing. The photographs are amazingly rich and sharp and are themselves a visual treat, with the quality as good as well as anything I've seen in print.

Jesse Monongya: Opal Bears and Lapis Skies (American Indian Master Jewelers) is a superb book, not just in the quantity and quality of its photographs of this important master jeweler's work, but in its insights into his life and the precision and beauty of his craft. We learn how Jesse's work is inspired by Navajo mythology, tradition and culture; how he has studied the work of many master craftsmen and women that came before him; how he has taken these traditions, the symbols, techniques and materials, placed them in a contemporary context and found his own voice. We learn about techniques of jewelry making, past and present, and with the clarity and directness of Lois Sherr Dubin's elegant prose, are encouraged to see beyond the dazzling surface of these highly crafted pieces to the spiritual world that lies beneath. Whether pendants, belt buckles, earrings or bolo ties, Monongya's work is of exceptional technical quality and imagination - these pieces are works of art in their own right. His use of new materials is highly dramatic, his combinations of colour and design unique, and his journey to where he is now, as a man, a jeweler and a Navajo, is a fascinating one. And it's this invaluable historical and cultural context that gives us such an intriguing glimpse into Jesse Monongya's world, and the wider world of Native Americans from which he comes.

Having taken a historical journey with Ms. Dubin in her two previous books, History of Beads and North American Jewelry and Adornment, it was a great pleasure to have a new opportunity to travel the creative path with the mind and art of Jesse Monongya, in her new book Opal Bears and Lapis Skies.
The beautiful photographs are intoxicating, and the text is clear and
multi-sourced. We are presented with the voices of Jesse's family members,
friends, gallery and museum heads, collectors and his own eloquent and
at times painful thoughts.

In particular, what stands out as special indeed, in a book about one-of-a-kind jewelry, (which is prized in every meaning of the word), is that there is an entire chapter devoted to explaining the process of making the pieces.
My deepest gratitude for the writing of this book is for the insight it gives into the "native way" of seeing human existence, a most fascinating read and much to think about.
This book is a first in a series of monographs and I am anticipating the next.
T. Dorsey, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.

The jewelry of Jesse Monongya as seen in this beautiful book is both inspired design and elegant craftsmanship. The book is a tribute to a remarkable artist whose visual poetry takes the form of gold, silver and gemstones. The references in Mr. Monangya's work are stunning interpretations of Native American lore, landscapes and sacred sites. The narrative by Ms. Dubin gives the reader a highly personal and extermely insightful first hand view of the influences of his work. This monograph is a tracery of contemporary Native American culture as seen through the artistic expression of one of its living treasures.

This book by Lois Dubin continues the tradition she has established in her two previous books:they are clearly written, highly informative, and have beautiful illustrations. Jesse Monongya's jewelry is a real departure from traditional American Indian jewelry, and may be a stretch for some people.
but ithe jewelry is a work of art, and the illustrations really help the reader to see that. time to move beyond traditional silver necklaces and bracelets, and into the 21st century. Looking at the work in this book is helping me to expand my appreciation of the art of jewelry.

I was very impressed with Lois Dubin's previous book on the history of North American Indian jewelry so was pleasantly suprised to find her latest on the work of one very talented artist. I thought the pictures were gorgeous, the colors so lush and true, and the detail exquisite. Looking at them made me feel as if I owned the pieces! (I only wish!) Monongya is such a skilled craftsman, mixing various elements with boldness and imagination. One simply does not see that kind of dazzling interpretation in most Indian jewelry shops. But beyond the photos, I loved reading Monongya's own words... the story of his life, the influence of his elders on his work. He comes across as a sensitive and thoughtful man - but with an impish sense of humor as well - as some of his work evidences. And he is obviously, a creative genius. I read the whole book in one sitting, a credit to Dubin's easy prose, sensibility and organization. Now a question, is Monongya's jewelry available in Jackson, Wyoming where I often vacation?

I received this book as a gift from someone who knows I've had a preference for traditional, old-style Native American jewelry and crafts. It was good to learn, in depth and through this example of one artist, that contemporary Indian arts can be rooted in the same ancestral basis of geography and cosmology that produced earlier art and jewelry. Well-written . . . a good, and beautiful, addition to learning about Native American lives and art.
Evelyn Winkel
Seal Beach, CA

This book offers not only a panoply of incredible color photographs of the work of Mr. Monongya, but a deeply thoughtful and insightful commentary on the life of a complicated, but profoundly talented man who is committed to his craft and to his heritage. From reading Ms. Dubin's work, one understands completely that her subject is not just an outstanding American Indian jeweler; he is one of the great contemporary jewelers of
the world. In the description of her subject, she explores the values instilled in him by his family during Monogya's childhood,
particularly those morals and principles taught to him by his
grandmother, a beyond-wise, passionately religious and loving centenarian with a droll and delightful sense of humor. In a very sensible yet perceptive way, the author explains how Monongya practices his skill, how he goes about designing his
his jewelry and the meaning of each specific detail and the means by which he actually creates the piece. It is a fascinating process, honed over the years by his own experiences and those of his teachers, including his father, the master Preston Monongya and now being passed along to Jesse's own son, Bo. The reader can appreciate those forces which drive Monongya
to investigate new ideas, to go beyond what he has already
perfected, to be innovative in both form and technique, in short not to rest on his laurels. But what also comes through in no uncertain terms is Monongya's devotion to the underpinnings of his birthright, the intense attachment to and enchantment with
the belief system in which he was raised.

The design of this book is immensely satisfying as is the layout of the incredible photography of Togashi. It does honor to both
the work of a celebrated craftsman and to the critical elements of his life which have contributed to making him one of only a handful of truly distinguished American jewelers. Ms. Dubin has also given us an insight into a culture which has produced sublime beauty and which has given birth to a man not only of superb expertise in his chosen field, but also to a man who leads a life of wondrous integrity and decency.

Lois Sherr Dubin has given us a sensiive exposure to a fine artist jewler of Hopi and Navajo background. Breathtaking photographs by Kiyoshi Togashi, brings us up close and personal to the man, his work and enviroment. A joyful and moving read.

Open this wonderful book, look at the magnificent jewelry and craftsman ship, stunningly photographed, and placed in the geographic and cultural context from which it arose. Mr. Monongya's creations are truly organic, arising deep from within his cultural roots, which tap the brilliant and subtle landscape of the West. Ms Dubin's writing, concise and direct in its prose, reveals the Mr. Monongya's history and evolution as an artist. Everything works in this book - the subject, the photographs, the text, the typography. This book follows in the brilliant tradition of Ms. Sherr's two earlier classics.

Jay E. Selman...