Page 36 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Southwest USA & National Parks

34  INTRODUCING THE SOUTHWEST A POR TR AIT OF THE SOUTHWEST  35

Native Art of the Southwest American artists can be seen in galleries
Contemporary sculpture by Native
The Native peoples of the American Southwest have a across the Southwest. They include this
piece called Dineh (1981) by famous
proud artistic heri tage. They produced painted pottery, American sculptor Allan Houser. Dineh
basketwork, and jewelry of distinction for centuries, often is the word the Navajo use to describe
using stylized images of animals and plants to express themselves. This is a modernist work,
their spiritual relationship with nature. As the region’s Basketwork is a tradition cast in bronze, with smooth planes and
clean lines appearing to represent the
tourist trade developed, in the 19th century, such products associated with all Native dignity and strength of this couple.
peoples of the Southwest.
became sought after by visitors. In the 20th century a Braided, twined, or coiled from
Native fine art movement began with watercolors, which willow or yucca leaves, the
initially depicted Native ceremonies. These works proved baskets are decorated differently
popular with collectors and marked the beginning of an according to the tribe.
interest in and market for southwestwern
Native art. Today, artists work in all media, Early Native American Art
including sculpture, video, and
installations, and in all styles such Outstanding examples of early Southwestern
as abstract expressionism or realism. pottery, basketwork, and hide paintings have
been marvelously preserved because of the area’s
dry climate, in spite of the fact that they are made
from perishable organic materials such as clay,
yucca fiber, and painted animal skins. As a result,
more is known about early indigenous art here
than in any other part of North America. The
earliest pieces date back to around 200 BC,
with textiles a later development. By AD 600, the
styles of the three main groups: the Hohokam,
Mogollon, and Ancestral Puebloan peoples had
begun to merge and
to absorb outside
influences, seen in the
Mexican designs on
some ancient pots.

Mimbres pottery bowl

Silverwork has been
produced by the
Navajo, Zuni, and
Rug-making traditions in the Southwest Hopi peoples for
belong to the Navajo and Pueblo, with centuries. Since the
Puebloan examples dating from prehistoric mid-19th century,
times. Navajo weaving is best known; these Native American Painting Navajo jewelers have
rugs were sought after by tourists as early as The Apache developed the art of animal-skin incorporated Spanish
the mid-1800s, and by the late 19th century painting in which warriors celebrated their deeds styles. Zuni and Hopi
colorful regional distinctions emerged. in pictographs. Designs, often scenes of men and silver is made in a
horses in battle or hunting, were scratched on the different way. They
surface and color added with bone or brush. After adopted an intricate
overlay process in the
1900 a fine art movement developed, including fine 1930s, distinguished by
impressionistic and abstract works such as Red Tailed raised silver patterns against
Hawk (1986) by Hopi/Tewa artist Dan Namingha. a dark background.

Pottery originated around 200 BC with the coiled pots Carving focuses mainly on wooden dolls, or kachinas,
of the Mimbres people. These mid-20th-century pots whittled mostly from pine or cottonwood. The Pueblo
are a polished blackware jar from San Ildefonso Pueblo peoples, especially the Hopi, are noted for their
(left) and a patterned jar from Acoma (above). masked figurines, which depict kachina spirits.

034-035_EW_SW_USA.indd 34 28/11/17 12:39 PM 034-035_EW_SW_USA.indd 35 28/11/17 12:39 PM
Eyewitness Travel LAYERS PRINTED:
Feature template “UK” LAYER
(SourceReport v1.3)
Date 18th October 2012
Size 125mm x 217mm