The rich artistic traditions of Alaska Natives are the subject of this landmark volume, which examines the work of the premier Alaska artists of the twentieth century. Ranging across the state from the islands of the Bering Sea to the interior forests, Alaska Native Art provides a living context for beadwork and ivory carving, basketry and skin sewing. Examples of work from Tlingit, Aleutian Islanders, Pacific Eskimo, Athabascan, Yupik, and Inupiaq artists make this volume the most comprehensive study of Alaskan art ever published. Alaska Native Art examines the concept of tradition in the modern world. Alaska Native Art is a volume to treasure, a tribute to the incredible vision of Alaska's artists and to the enduring traditions of all of Alaska's Native peoples.

"This new, expanded volume features rare photographs and insights about the Aleutian heritage, and provides a showcase for contemporary Aleut artists and their works."--BOOK JACKET.

Indigenous North Americans have continuously made important contributions to the field of art in the U.S. and Canada, yet have been severely under-recognized and under-represented. Native artists work in diverse media, some of which are considered art (sculpture, painting, photography), while others have been considered craft (works on cloth, basketry, ceramics).Some artists feel strongly about working from a position as a Native artist, while others prefer to produce art not connected to a particular cultural tradition.

John Hoover: Art and Life, featuring colour reproductions of works from museums and private collections all over the world, is a retrospective look at the life and career of one of Alaska's most significant artists. John Hoover grew up in Cordova, Alaska, in an era when it was an international city and one of the richest ports in the West. Born in 1919 to a Dutch father and Aleut-Russian mother, Hoover has worked as a fisherman, taxi driver, drummer, and sailor - and, throughout, he has been an artist. The ancient Indians, Eskimos, and Aleuts, and the spirits that guided them, still guide Hoover today. It is their stories, as well as his own, that he brings alive in his cedar carvings. Now in his eighties, Hoover continues to create small and large-scale sculptures in cedar and bronze. He was one of the first to successfully bridge the gap between traditional and contemporary art, and he has spent a lifetime mastering his craft, breaking new ground, and reviving ancient cultures. In each of his roles - as Aleut artist, musician, fisherman, and storyteller - he has striven to exemplify dedication, perseverance, and perfection

Translation from Russian