7IDANsuu James Hart
A Monumental Practice
Hart has achieved national prominence and international acclaim for his towering poles, stately cedar sculptures, and massive bronzes—monumental works that extend the long continuum of Haida visual traditions into powerful new forms. Since his early days assisting Robert Davidson and Bill Reid, through his reproductions of historical Haida poles and his carving of original house front, story, and memorial poles for private commissions and clan-based contexts in Haida Gwaii and beyond, he has developed an innovative practice rooted in tradition, and widely celebrated: thousands of people gathered to witness the raising and activation of his Reconciliation Pole; his Three Watchmen bronzes overlook the Audain Art Museum, National Gallery of Canada and the Plains of Abraham; and The Dance Screen (The Scream Too) in Whistler is considered a once-in-a-generation sculptural masterpiece.
This, the first publication devoted to Hart, is both a survey of his major career achievements and a document of an impossible-to-assemble exhibition. Alongside hundreds of photos of nineteen monumental works and associated smaller carvings and bronzes scattered across North America and Europe, and drawing on over two years of interviews with the artist, Curtis Collins illustrates how key animal and supernatural figures reappear across scales and mediums, from jewellery to sixty-foot poles (the “backbone” of his practice), and speaks to the associated activation ceremonies as integral to Haida monumental art. Wade Davis considers Hart’s expressions of Haida resilience within the people’s long history, from time immemorial to the nation’s present-day efforts towards national sovereignty; Gwaliga Hart offers a personal perspective on his father’s work; and in an autobiographical essay the artist himself reflects on his life, and his life’s work.
Vancouver Sun
Book paints fascinating and gorgeous picture of Haida master carver 7IDANsuu James Hart
7IDANsuu James Hart: A Monumental Practice, by James Hart and Curtis Collins. Foreword by Michael Audain. Texts by Wade Davis and Gwaliga Hart. Co-published by the Audain Art Museum and Figure 1 Publishing.
Major Sponsors
Lindsay F. Eberts & Patti Paxton-Eberts
Goudge Family Foundation
Supporting Sponsors
Tim Dattels & Kristine Johnson
Heffel
Generously Supported By
Tom & Teresa Gautreau
Geoff & Janet Plant