"Among the greatest private collections of Plains and Plateau Indian art in the world." --Gaylord Torrence, Senior Curator of American Indian Art, The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art. Living with American Indian Art: The Hirschfield Collection contains numerous masterworks, the great majority of which have never been published or exhibited. This book brings the collection into the scholarly domain as surely as any museum publication, making it accessible to the rest of the world for the first time. Alan Hirschfield built the ...
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"Among the greatest private collections of Plains and Plateau Indian art in the world." --Gaylord Torrence, Senior Curator of American Indian Art, The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art. Living with American Indian Art: The Hirschfield Collection contains numerous masterworks, the great majority of which have never been published or exhibited. This book brings the collection into the scholarly domain as surely as any museum publication, making it accessible to the rest of the world for the first time. Alan Hirschfield built the collection primarily with an art-based view, focusing on pieces that he has found to be interesting and attractive. As a result, there is broad representation of many different tribes and regions, and includes textiles, leather pouches, war shirts, dresses, vests, cradleboards, beadwork, weaponry, pottery, toys, and basketry. Whether you are a collector, a scholar, or someone interested in decorating with American Indian art, inspiration will be found in Hirschfield's approach. Alan J. Hirschfield, a foremost collector of American Indian art, has held many executive positions in the entertainment industry over the last 40 years, including chairman and CEO of Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation and president and CEO of Columbia Pictures. He currently serves as a director of several nonprofit institutions and public companies. Among their numerous philanthropic commitments, he and his wife, Berte, are dedicated to improving the opportunities for youth living on the Wind River Indian Reservation in Wyoming.
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Add this copy of Living With American Indian Art: the Hirschfield to cart. $51.15, very good condition, Sold by Swan Trading Company rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from GEORGETOWN, TX, UNITED STATES, published 2012 by Gibbs Smith.
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Very Good in Very Good jacket. Size: 5x0x7; The binding is tight, corners sharp. Text and images unmarked. Remainder mark on the top edge of the text block. The dust jacket shows some light handling, in a mylar cover. 4to. 279pp.
Add this copy of Living With American Indian Art: the Hirschfield to cart. $157.00, very good condition, Sold by Chaparral Books rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Portland, OR, UNITED STATES, published 2012 by Gibbs Smith.
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Very Good in Very Good jacket. Size: 12x10x1; Minor shelf wear to binding. Text and images unmarked. Dj lightly shelf worn around edges with small scuffs & scratches. Dust jacket in a mylar cover. **Please note: book is oversized and heavy, and will require substantial additional shipping fees to international or expedited addresses. **
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New in new dust jacket. Sewn binding. Cloth over boards. With dust jacket. 279 p. Contains: Illustrations, black & white, Illustrations, color. Audience: General/trade. Shrink wrapped.
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A major collector?s love affair with American Indi
Most private tribal collectors who publish books on their collections seek to make them resemble an official museum publication or exhibition catalogue as closely possible.
Instead, Alan Hirschfieldhas chosen to present and describe his collection in a way that is personal. So personal , it even includes an eight page preface which is an overview of Hirschfield?s Hollywood career, which included the top jobs at 20th Century Fox and Columbia.
For an ex- Hollywood power broker, Hirschfield comes across as a nice guy. He affectionately acknowledges the support of his wife Berte, who shares his enthusiasm (and their home) with this collection, and he graciously thanks the many curators and dealers who have contributed to his education ? including Gaylord Torrens of the Nelson Atkins Art Museum who wrote the foreword, and veteran dealer Terry Winchell ,who is credited as co-author. He?s even donating the proceeds of the book to an education fund for Native American children.
?Living with Native American Art? presents and describes 160 objects from the Hirschfield Collection, of which around 70% are beaded, the balance being made up of painted shirts, baskets and pottery. Alan and Berte Hirschfield love beads, particularly those of the Plains and Canada, and they are everywhere in this book. And while there are many other fine publications featuring Native American beadwork, there are two things make this one stand out.
The first is the impressive photographic skill of W. Garth Dowling. The pictures glow on the page with amazing detail, and many objects are also photographed in close up, or shot front and rear.
The second is the range of personal insights and memories that accompany many objects. There?s a great depth of knowledge in this book, but it is presented in an intimate and informal way. We learn exactly how the Hirschfield?s love affair with American Indian art started ? with baskets, which led to an almost accidental discovery of beadwork. We share the stories of how and why many of the pieces were acquired and what makes them special. Hirschfield even tells us about his nervousness and self doubt at a major auction where he purchased a beaded bag for an amount that even a Hollywood executive had to think twice about. (He still loves the piece and does not regret a cent he spent on it ? and who of us who are collectors and hopeful bidders could not recall similar moments of auction angst).
The Hirschfields go where their hearts take them and they like to collect objects in depth. They own many painted shirts, beaded octopus bags, pipe bags, beaded dresses and cradleboards. They are also particularly fascinated by figural beadwork that depicts horses, warriors, deer and buffalo, and they own several pieces made by the great 19th century Sioux artist, Nellie Two Bears Gates.
On the other hand, because this collection was shaped by the personal whims and interests of its owners, there are some common objects you will not find in this book. There is one pair of leggings and one pair of riding boots, but not a single beaded moccasin for example. And while you will see many beaded horses, you will find vary little beaded horse tack. Clearly, unlike many private collectors, who seek at least one great example of everything, the Hirschfields have to like it before they buy it, and then they tend to buy more than one example.
My only negative is the lack of an index, which does not make it easy to use as a reference work.
This review was condensed from a post on Tribal Art Brokers, My Beady Eye
