Arizona Art History: Books

Arizona Representational Art History

Books, listed by year of publication, with most recently published book listed first

(above: Vincent Colyer, Moqui village cliff dwellings Arizona, 1869/1871, watercolor on paper, 30.2 x 21.6 cm, Museum of Fine Arts, Houston. Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons)

Painting the Cosmos: Metaphor and Worldview in Images from the Southwest Pueblos and Mexico, published by the Museum of Northern Arizona in 2010, ISBN: 9780897341431, is available in the Museum of Northern Arizona's Bookstore. Edited by MNA Danson Chair of Anthropology Dr. Kelley Hays-Gilpin and Museum of New Mexico Research Associate Polly Schaafsma, this 216-page volume is the product of a unique collaboration between the Museum and the Hopi Tribe. Many Hopi traditional scholars and leaders have contributed, with final review by the Hopi Cultural Preservation Office. In this volume, numerous authors have presented a decade of scholarship on nearly two thousand years of ancestral Hopi painting and the values expressed in the imagery of paintings on kiva walls and pottery vessels. Many fundamentals of Hopi iconography (the study of images) are held in common with other pueblos in New Mexico, with indigenous cultures of northwest Mexico, and with the ancient civilizations of Mesoamerica. This volume is about such connections across not only Hopi life, but across the wider Pueblo world, and into Mesoamerica.The nine chapters focus on ancient murals, painted pottery, and rock art and petroglyphs. Contemporary artists who work with ancient images and with ideas about continuity and change have also been included in this work. Painting the Cosmos presents most of the core scholarship of the Hopi Iconography Project, an ongoing research effort by the Museum of Northern Arizona and the Hopi Cultural Preservation Office, established by a Memorandum of Understanding in March 2005. Supporting research and consultation was provided by the Getty Foundation, the National Endowment for the Humanities, and the Rockefeller Foundation. Access to collections and other data was provided by the American Museum of Natural History, Amerind Foundation, Arizona State Museum (University of Arizona), Chicago Field Museum of Natural History, Harvard Peabody Museum, Maxwell Museum, Museum of New Mexico, Museum of Peoples and Cultures (Brigham Young University), University of Pennsylvania Museum, Smithsonian Institution Museum of Natural History, and National Museum of the American Indian. - above information from Museum of Northern Arizona press releaase dated 12/10/10. ß

The Rock Art of Arizona: Art for Life's Sake, by Ekkehart Malotki (Author), Donald E. Weaver (Collaborator), Mary Jordan (Illustrator). 194 pages. Kiva Publishing (July 31, 2007). ISBN-10: 1885772386. ISBN-13: 978-1885772381. Product Description: "With an estimated 6,000 to 8,000 sites spread throughout its canyons, mountains and deserts, the Grand Canyon state of Arizona constitutes one of the premier rock art theaters in the world. Consisting primarily of engraved images (petroglyphs) on sandstone and basalt, but also offering paintings (pictographs) under overhangs, and ground figures (geoglyphs) on the desert pavements, Arizona's rock art truly commands awe and respect. This book, in a comprehensive survey, presents the full gamut of the state's impressive open-air art from its earliest beginnings until more recent manifestations in the historic era. Though The Rock Art of Arizona contains more than 380 color photographs, over 130 drawings, and numerous charts and maps, it goes beyond the usual bounds of a lavishly illustrated coffee-table book. In addition to describing the various Archaic and post Archaic rock art styles and traditions in the state's fifteen counties, author Ekkehart Malotki focuses on providing insights into what may have compelled Arizona's ancestral artists to produce the imagery and what functions it may have had in their daily lives. At the same time, he acknowledges the severe limitations of scientifically dating the paleoart, the subjective biases involved in stylistic classification, and the ultimate mystery of its meaning. Within the confines of this explanatory framework, drawing primarily on novel ideas derived from the field of evolutionary psychology and the concept of human universals, he argues that rock art, in a broadly defined context of art and ritual, had beneficial adaptive value in the human struggle for survival and thus can truly be perceived as art for life's sake." text courtesy of Amazon.com x

Jewels of the Navajo Loom: The Rugs of Teec Nos Pos, by Ruth K. Belikov. 38 pages. Museum of New Mexico Press (June 2003). ISBN-10: 0890134553. ISBN-13: 978-0890134559. Product Description: "Legend has it that a traveling missionary brought an Oriental rug to the Four Corners area of the Navajo Reservation before 1995. Teec Nos Pos weavers quick to adopt some of the distinctive motifs from these rugs, creating large, intricate and colorful designs. Teec Nos Pos geometric patterns and color were considered aberrant to the mainstream of Navajo design in the early twentieth century. Today these magnificient rugs are considered a classic twentieth century weaving and are highly collectible. This catalogue accompanies an exhibition (March 16 2003--January 11 2004) at the Museum of Indian Arts and Culture in Sante Fe." text courtesy of Amazon.com *

Navajo Saddle Blankets: Textiles to Ride in the American West, by Lane Coulter. 144 pages. Museum of New Mexico Press (October 2002). ISBN-10: 0890134073. ISBN-13: 978-0890134078. Product Description: "Navajo saddle blankets are among the most under-appreciated art forms in the American Southwest, the Cinderella of Navajo textiles. Saddle blankets have played a key role in Navajo life both as utilitarian objects and as a force in the economic sustainability of modern Navajo life. They represent a material link between Navajo weavers and traders. This modest textile has found a context in the cattle industry, inside rural cabins, on the floors of eastern bungalows, on the walls of art museums, and even on horseback. It has served countless cultural and utilitarian demands placed on it over the last century and a half, with no sunset in sight." text courtesy of Amazon.com

Hecho a Mano: The Traditional Arts of Tucson's Mexican American Community, by James Griffith. 105 pages. University of Arizona Press (September 1, 2000). ISBN-10: 0816518785. ISBN-13: 978-0816518784. Product Description: "Arts as intimate as a piece of needlework or a home altar. Arts as visible as decorative iron, murals, and low riders. Through such arts, members of Tucson's Mexican American community contribute much of the cultural flavor that defines the city to its residents and to the outside world. Now Tucson folklorist Jim Griffith celebrates these public and private artistic expressions and invites us to meet the people who create them. Featuring a foreword by Tucson author Patricia Preciado Martin, and a spectacular gallery of photographs, many by Pulitzer prize-winning photographer José Galvez, this remarkable book offers a close-up view of a community rich with tradition and diverse artistic expression. Hecho a Mano is a piñata bursting with unexpected treasures that will inspire and inform anyone with an interest in folk art or Mexican American culture." text courtesy of Amazon.com (left: front cover, Hecho a Mano: The Traditional Arts of Tucson's Mexican American Community, Photo courtesy Google Books)

Hopi Silver: The History and Hallmarks of Hopi Silversmithing, by Margaret Nickelson Wright. 160 pages. University of New Mexico Press; 1998 revision edition (August 30, 2003) ISBN-10: 0826333826. ISBN-13: 978-0826333827 *

The Majesty of the Grand Canyon: 150 Years in Art, By Joni Kinsey. Published by Pomegranate, ISBN 0764929569, 9780764929564. 1998 160 pages. Google Books says: "Little was known about the country's most famous natural wonder until 1869, when John Wesley Powell traveled the full length of the Grand Canyon by boat. He returned each year; in 1873 he introduced it to artist Thomas Moran, whose brazenly colored, grand-scale portrayals of the canyon stunned the public. In 1908, Moran's work prompted President Theodore Roosevelt to declare the Grand Canyon a national monument; by 1919, Congress had established Grand Canyon National Park. As the Santa Fe Railway opened up the Southwest, in 1892 the company began hiring artists to paint scenes of the Grand Canyon, including Moran, W.R. Leigh, and Louis Akin. Today, artists are still capturing the splendor of the Grand Canyon: Ed Mell, Clark Hulings, Wilson Hurley, Frank Mason, P. A. Nisbet, Bruce Aiken, and Earl Carpenter are among the contemporary artists represented in 'The Majesty of the Grand Canyon.'" (right: front cover of The Majesty of the Grand Canyon: 150 Years in Art, courtesy Google Books) *

The Beauty of Navajo Jewelry, By Theda Bassman, Ph.D., Gene Balzer. Preview this book. Published 1997 by Kiva Publishing. 79 pages. ISBN:1885772025. Google Books says: "An elegant array of museum quality pieces are showcased illustrating the marvelous creativity and artistry of Navajo jewelers. The book features the fine photography of noted photographer Gene Balzer. Detailed descriptions accompany each piece photographed." Note: Google Books offers a Limited Preview of this book. For more information on this and other digitizing initiatives from publishers please click here and here. (right: front cover, The Beauty of Navajo Jewelry. Photo courtesy Google Books)

Woven by the Grandmothers: Nineteenth Century Navajo Textiles from the National Museum of the American Indian by Eulalie H. Bonar, ed. Washington, DC: Smithsonian Institution Press, 1996

Weaving a World: Textiles and the Navajo Way of Seeing, by Roseann S. Willink (Author), Paul G. Zolbrod (Author), John Vavruska (Photographer). 96 pages. Museum of New Mexico Press (November 1996). ISBN-10: 0890133077. ISBN-13: 978-0890133071.

Contemporary Navajo Weaving: Thoughts That Count, by Ann Lane Hedlund. Flagstaff, AZ: Museum of Northern Arizona Press, 1994

Reflections of the Weaver's World: The Gloria F. Ross Collection of Contemporary Navajo Weaving. Denver: Denver Art Museum. 1992 ß

Selections from the Read Mullan Navajo textile collection at the Heard Museum, By Gina Cavallo Collins, Heard Museum. Published by Heard Museum, 1992 ß

Kachina Dolls: The Art of Hopi Carvers, by Helga Teiwes. 161 pages. University of Arizona Press (September 1, 1992). ISBN-10: 0816512647. ISBN-13: 978-0816512645. Product Description: "Much has been written about the popular kachina dolls carved by the Hopi Indians of northern Arizona, but little has been revealed about the artistry behind them. Now Helga Teiwes describes the development of this art form from early traditional styles to the action-style kachina dolls made popular in galleries throughout the world, and on to the kachina sculptures that have evolved in the last half of the 1980s. Teiwes explains the role of the Katsina spirit in Hopi religion and that of the kachina doll-the carved representation of a Katsina-in the ritual and economic life of the Hopis. In tracing the history of the kachina doll in Hopi culture, she shows how these wooden figures have changed since carvers came to be influenced by their marketability among Anglos and how their carving has been characterized by increasingly refined techniques. Unique to this book are Teiwes's description of the most recent trends in kachina doll carving and her profiles of twenty-seven modern carvers, including such nationally known artists as Alvin James Makya and Cecil Calnimptewa. Enhancing the text are more than one hundred photographs, including twenty-five breathtaking color plates that bring to life the latest examples of this popular art form." text courtesy of Amazon.com

The Basket Weavers of Arizona, by Bert Robinson. 164 pages. Univ of New Mexico Pr (September 1991). ISBN-10: 0826312632. 13: 978-0826312631

Arizona Photographers: The Snell & Wilmer Collection, By Terence Pitts, University of Arizona Center for Creative Photography, Edward Jacobson. Illustrated by Edward Jacobson. Contributor Terence Pitts, Edward Jacobson. Published by Center for Creative Photography, the University of Arizona, 1990. Original from the University of Michigan. Digitized Dec 17, 2007. ISBN 093826219X, 9780938262190. 80 pages

Navajo Textiles: The William Randolph Hearst Collection, by Nancy Blomberg. Tucson: University of Arizona Press, 1988

Southern Arizona Folk Arts, by James S. Griffith. 234 pages. University of Arizona Press (October 1988). ISBN-10: 0816510849. ISBN-13: 978-0816510849

Summoning the Gods: Sandpainting in the Native American Southwest, By Ronald McCoy, Museum of Northern Arizona. Published by Museum of Northern Arizona, 1988. ISBN 0897340590, 9780897340595. 32 pages ß

Capturing the Canyon: Artists in the Grand Canyon, By Holly Mitchem, Marvin A. Schenck, Tray C. Mead. Published by Mesa Southwest Museum, 1987. 48 pages ß

Navajo Weaving: Art in Its Cultural Context, By Gary Witherspoon, Museum of Northern Arizona. Published by Museum of Northern Arizona, 1987 ß

Artists of Arizona, Volume I, by J. Pat and Cindy Breedlove. 178 pages. Mountain Production, Inc. (1987).

Navajo Pottery, By Museum of Northern Arizona, Museum of Northern Arizona. Published by Museum of Northern Arizona, 1987. 32 pages ß

Navajo Weaving: Three Centuries of Change, by Kate Peck Kent. Santa Fe, NM: School of American Research Press, 1985

Navajo Weaving Tradition: 1650 to Present, by Alice Kaufman and Christopher Selser. New York, NY: NAL/Dutton, 1985

The Fine Art of Navajo Weaving, by Steve Getzwiller. Ray Manley Publication (1984).

Contemporary Hopi Pottery, By Laura Graves, Laura Graves Allen, Museum of Northern Arizona. Published by Museum of Northern Arizona, 1984. ISBN 0897340558, 9780897340557. 127 pages *

Kachinas: A Selected Bibliography, by Marcia Muth. Sunstone Press; 1st edition (May 1984). ISBN-10: 0865340315. ISBN-13: 978-0865340312

Kachinas: a Hopi artist's documentary, By Barton Wright. Illustrated by Cliff Bahnimptewa. Published by Heard Museum, 1983 ß

White Metal Universe: Navajo Silver from the Fred Harvey Collection, By Heard Museum of Anthropology and Primitive Art, E. W. Jernigan, Gary Witherspoon. Published by Heard Museum, 1981. ISBN 0934351201, 9780934351201. 53 pages *

Arizona Galleries & Their Artists - '82, By Danny Medina. Published by Dandick, 1981. 103 pages

Visitors to Arizona 1846 to 1890, By James K. Ballinger, Andrea D. Rubinstein, Phoenix Art Museum, Phoenix Art Museum. Published by Phoenix Art Museum, 1980. 207 pages ß

An Introduction to Hopi Pottery, By Francis H. Harlow, Museum of Northern Arizona, Mark Middleton. Illustrated by Mark Middleton. Published by Museum of Northern Arizona Press, 1978. ISBN 0897340221, 9780897340229. 32 pages

Hopi and Hopi-Tewa Pottery, By Museum of Northern Arizona, Museum of Northern Arizona. Published by Museum of Northern Arizona, 1977 ß

Kachinas: An Evolving Hopi Art Form? : The Heard Museum, December 17, 1977-February 3, 1978, the Art Gallery, California State Fullerton, November 10, 1978-December 14, 1978, By Heard Museum of Anthropology and Primitive Art, Jon T. Erickson, California State University, Fullerton Art Gallery. Published by Heard Museum, 1977. 112 pages ß

The Story of Navajo Weaving, By Kate Peck Kent. Edition: 9. Published by Heard Museum of Anthropology and Primitive Arts sic, 1974 ß

Art of Arizona and the Southwest: Paintings from the Collection of the Santa Fe Industries, Inc, By Phoenix Art Museum, Phoenix Art Museum. Published by Phoenix Art Museum, 1975. 27 pages ß

This is a Hopi Kachina, By Museum of Northern Arizona, Evelyn Roat, Barton Wright. Published by The Museum of Northern Arizona, 1974. 28 pages ß

Navajo and Hopi Weaving Techniques, by Mary Pendleton. New York: Collier Books, 1974.

Pima Indian Basketry: Illustrated with Photographs from the Collection of the Heard Museum of Anthropology and Primitive Art, Phoenix, Arizona, By Harvey Thomas Cain, Heard Museum of Anthropology and Primitive Art. Published by Heard Museum of Anthropology and Primitive Art, 1972. 40 pages ß

The Goldwater Kachina Doll Collection: Presented to the Heard Museum by Barry M. Goldwater, By Heard Museum of Anthropology and Primitive Art, Barry Morris Goldwater, Byron Harvey, Heard Museum of Anthropology and Primitive Art. Published by Published for the Heard Museum by the Arizona Historical Foundation, 1969. 27 pages ß

Navajo Weaving: Its Technic and Its History, by Charles Avery Amsden. The Fine Arts Press, 1934. Reprint. Chicago: Rio Grande Press, 1964.

The Story of Navaho Weaving: Illustrated with Photos of Blankets in the Collection of the Heard Museum of Anthropology and Primitive Art, By Kate Peck Kent. Published by Heard Museum of Anthropology and Primitive Arts, 1963. 48 pages ß

Crafts of Arizona Indians, by Clara Lee Tanner. 40 pages. Arizona Development Board (July 1, 1960).

Hopi Kachina Dolls: with a Key to Their Identification, by Harold S. Colton; color photographs by Jack Breed. Albuquerque, N.M.: University of New Mexico Press, c1959. *

The Navajo and His Blanket, by U. S. Hollister. 1903. Reprint. Chicago: Rio Grande Press, 1937

The Hopi Craftsman, By Museum of Northern Arizona. Published by Museum of Northern Arizona, 1930 ß

Exhibition of Paintings of the Grand Canyon of Arizona by a Group of Contemporary American Painters: April 6 to 22, 1912., By Cincinnati Art Museum. Published by Cincinnati art Museum. c1912 nc

Handbook of Northern Arizona Pottery Wares, by Harold Colton. 267 pages. Ams Pr Inc; 1st AMS ed edition (November 1911). ISBN-10: 0404155111. ISBN-13: 978-0404155117 nc

* indicates that selected text is under study as of May 2009 for TFAO online publication

ß indicates that the copyright for text is possibly owned by a museum

x indicates declination of TFAO offer for publication by copyright owner

nc indicates title may be in public domain

(above: Spring Blooms, Winkleman, 2021, Photo by John Hazeltine)

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