In this fascinating study of Northwest Coast art, Jonathan Meuli has not only outlined a history of ideas associated with Northwest Coast art objects from pre-Contact time to the present day, but has also examined the ways in which the physical location and contexts in which the objects are produced has helped to determine their meanings. Locating his linear historical narrative within a wider exploration of ethnographic art ideas, which emphasizes links across cultures, Meuli examines the differing attitudes towards Northwest Coast material culture, particularly as these are embodied in oral mythic narratives, collection methods and architectural constructions.
Biography
Jonatahan Meuli combines both a scholarly and a creative career in his chosen field. he is a lecturer on the history of art at the University of East Anglia, UK, and is also a successful freelance painter, exhibiting and lecturing in England, Europe and Canada. He has been a Henry Moore fellow, and has worked extensively for the Robert and Lisa Sainsbury Charitable Trust, owners of the Sainsbury Collection. Jonathan Meuli has also worked for several galleries, and has published a number of acclaimed articles in the fields of art history and anthropology.