Traditional Art Of Mesoamerica And The Central Andes

From prehistory to the present, the Indigenous peoples of the Andes have used a visual symbol system—that is, art—to express their sense of the sacred and its immanence in the natural world. Many visual motifs that originated prior to the Incas still appear in Andean art today, despite the onslaught of cultural disruption that native Andeans have endured over several centuries. Indeed, art has always been a unifying power through which Andeans maintain their spirituality, pride, and culture while resisting the oppression of the dominant society. In this book, Mary Strong takes a significantly new approach to Andean art that links prehistoric to contemporary forms through an ethnographic understanding of Indigenous Andean culture. In the first part of the book, she provides a broad historical survey of Andean art that explores how Andean religious concepts have been expressed in art and how artists have responded to cultural encounters and impositions, ranging from invasion and conquest to international labor migration and the internet. In the second part, Strong looks at eight contemporary art types—the scissors dance (danza de tijeras), home altars (retablos), carved gourds (mates), ceramics (ceramica), painted boards (tablas), weavings (textiles), tinware (hojalateria), and Huamanga stone carvings (piedra de Huamanga). She includes prehistoric and historic information about each art form, its religious meaning, the natural environment and sociopolitical processes that help to shape its expression, and how it is constructed or performed by today’s artists, many of whom are quoted in the book.

In this volume, anthropologists, art historians, fiber artists, and technologists come together to explore the meanings, uses, and fabrication of textiles in Mexico, Guatemala, Ecuador, Peru, and Bolivia from Precolumbian times to the present. Originally published in 1991 by Garland Publishing, the book grew out of a 1987 symposium held in conjunction with the exhibit "Costume as Communication: Ethnographic Costumes and Textiles from Middle America and the Central Andes of South America" at the Haffenreffer Museum of Anthropology, Brown University.

A History of Interior Design tells the story of 6,000 years of domestic and public space. It’s an essential resource for students, professionals, and anyone interested in interior design, the decorative arts, architecture, and art history. It explores a broad range of styles and movements, weaving together a fascinating narrative from cave dwellings and temple architecture, through Gothic cathedrals and Islamic palaces, to modern skyscrapers and the retail spaces of the 21st-century. This fully updated fifth edition includes: More on the contributions of women designers and architects Additional coverage of furniture, product design, and decoration Numerous new examples of diverse modern styles from around the world Over 700 images, more than 300 of which are new or color replacements for black and white photos An extra final chapter focusing on the influence of the latest technology and current thinking on the importance of conservation and ethical sourcing

This classic reference presents the history of interior designfrom prehistory to the present. Exploring a broad range of designstyles and movements, this revised and expanded edition includescoverage of non-Western design and vernacular interior architectureand features 665 photographs and drawings (color andblack-and-white). A History of Interior Design is anessential resource for practicing and aspiring professionals ininterior design, art history, and architecture, and general readersinterested in design and the decorative arts.