Haida (large)

I've been influenced a lot lately by Haida art. Their attention to well...everything is just amazing. Incorporating techniques and shapes they used teaches you so much patience it's ridiculous. In case others enjoy...read at your interest.

taken from various sites.

the images are all Haida designs, or by modern artists inspired by them.

The Haida inhabit the archipelago of islands off the coast of British Columbia and southern Alaska. They are known as the Queen Charlotte Islands by most people, and are called "Haida Gwaii" by the Haida. Archeologists and anthropologists have examined ancient sites of habitation on the islands believed to be more than 9,000 years old. The Haida population was around 10,000 people at the time of contact with the western world in the early to mid 18th century. With white-man came trade, exposure to western ways and religion, and smallpox. In 1862 the disease ravaged the Haida people for the next three years. By 1900, population estimates ranged from between 500 and 1,000 surviving individuals. Villages, traditions, and a way of life were largely lost.

Throughout this ordeal the Haida culture, language and art survived. The art produced for sale to non-natives, was primarily carved argillite stone. This stone resembles black slate without the layering and splitting characteristics. Argillite carvings appeared in European collections as early as 1820. Among native cultures, only the Haida carve argillite. They tightly control the single source of the stone. The forms and images produced vary and are drawn from myth and reality. The earliest Haida carvers made "pipes" decorated with images from their culture and from the west. They also made "totem poles", utilitarian forms and numerous decorative objects for sale.

artist Blaine Billman

inspired by Haida

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http://www.northwest-art.com/NorthwestArt/WebPages/Graphics/SunoftheFirstNationsF.gif'>

Principles and Elements of Design

The key elements of First Nations art are line, color, and form. The lines used are bold and strong and not jagged. Through the use of smooth and curving lines, clear boundaries and shapes are created. In addition, form line changes constantly, in both thickness and direction. Bold contrasting colors are used in Native art which allows the areas of color to be obvious and clear. Traditionally, the colors used in northwest coast art are black and red with black being the primary color of the form line.

A distinct element in First Nations art is form. The basic components in NWC art: ovoid, inner ovoid, U-form, split U-form, and the S-form. The combination of these forms, combined with anatomical features, are used to form various animals such as killer whales, sea lions, and eagles.

http://www.mala.bc.ca/www/discover/educate/posters/5nwc2.jpg'>

http://www.northernwoodarts.com/raven_gallery/store/media/dave085.jpg'>

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http://www.mala.bc.ca/www/discover/educate/posters/4nwc3a.jpg'>http://www.arcticravengallery.com/images/nav01/arcticraven_6.gif'>

http://www.aabc.com/leon/raven.jpg'> http://www.aabc.com/leon/panel.jpg'> http://www.aabc.com/leon/wolf.jpg'>

the significance of totem poles

http://www.wsu.edu/~kniep/fs12/front.html

VERY NICE,I JUST LOVE 3 COLOR COMBO STUFF

NICE POST IN GENERAL

this great stuff. a+ pilau. thank you.

wha?! i could have sworn i already replied to this a half hour ago....:o

amazing. i'm pretty lucky to have this stuff around me everywhere.

i should know more about it though. i like how this stuff can be

really complex and busy, with a bunch of faces and things

going on, especially some of the totems, and also really simplified and minimal(the masks)..the way they've created stuff from nature is awesome. i prefer

this kind of stuff (nature related art) to something like robert bateman, where he arguably doesn't really have much creative artistic input on the subjects he's painting.the queen charlottes are

insanely beautiful...from pictures i've seen..i'm gonna go there

one of these days dammit.

That second one is great. I should get a tatoo of it.

http://www.netgoth.org.uk/people/4374.jpg'>

"THOSE ARE REALLY COOL! HEE HEE!!"

a+