Customer Reviews

Sacred Images: A Vision of Native American Rock Art

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No one really knows what was in the minds of the people who made the prolific, and mysterious rock art of the southwest. Therefore most reputable books on rock art simply describe in dry archeological detail the design elements and locations of the various panels. Leslie Kelen is more of an oral-historian than a scientist. He simply recorded the words and stories the modern Native Americans tell about the art in their area. He combined this with a fine, scientifically accurate introductory essay on ancient cultures, and spectacular photography. The result is a real experience of Canyon Country Rock Art. The book captures the beautiful inscrutability of the rock art and some of the best stories commonly told about it. Many of the local Native Americans are both steeped in their native heritage, and well aware of the scientific community's analysis. This is not a book for scientists. It is a book for people fascinated with the southwest and who wish to add new colors and possibilities to their ruminations on rock art. This is a book for visitors to the southwest who want to see more deeply into the landscape they are traveling through. I have been a guide in the southwest canyon country since 1996, and this is the number one rock art book I recommend to clients.

This book is a valuable reference and resource for anybody with a passion for the Native American rock art of the Southwest. The art is categorized by the cultures that created it, starting with the Barrier Canyon style (going back to 6000 B.C.) to the Ute art produced from the 1500s through the 1800s. The anthropological/archeological discussion is confined to David Sucec's opening chapter and to photo captions within the body of the book.

Each chapter takes the reader on a pictorial tour of succeeding styles of rock art, with commentary from members of the Native American people of the Southwest. There's no dogma here. As Larry Cesspooch (Northern Ute) says, "The photograph...will only present a portion of (the) meaning. The other portion is the physical presence of the rock, which is as alive as you and I." Just as the rock art images have different meaning for different cultures, so too will different photographs from different angles convey different meaning. The enigmatic nature of these images is part of their mystery as well as their timeless appeal.

The photographic skill of Craig Law, John Telford, Tom Till, and others is well-represented in the 60 plates herein. Newcomers may be disappointed that this book follows the etiquette of not revealing specific rock art locations, but this is not intended as a guidebook. It's an invitation for both newcomers and seasoned explorers to seek a deeper spiritual understanding of these sacred images.

I believe this book is out of print. I purchased it from a reseller.

My purpose was to prepare for a trip to southeastern Utah including Canyonlands, Arches, Moab, etc. Part of what I wanted to accomplish was to find and photograph as many petroglyphs as possible in as short a time as possible, and this book was key in planning the trip. The photos will be available for viewing and free download at my website:[...] in the near future.

These are valuable images of the Ute culture in particular, over a very long period of time, and are being lost to a polluted environment and taggers at an alarming rate. They tell stories in a form that is simple, yet plays with your imagination as you gaze at them. There are some that may or may not depict UFOs and alien abductions as well as many that depict hunts, daily life and even birth.

The book is a well-done, in-depth study of far more locations than I was able to visit on my trip. I will use it as a guide many times to come, I'm sure.