Robert Davidson

Robert Davidson, a Canadian native American of Haida ancestry, is one of North America's most important contemporary artists. Davidson is descended from Charles Edenshaw and studied under Bill Reid - the two great figures in Haida art. He has produced an internationally acclaimed body of art, epitomized by a series of large totem poles featured in collections around the world. Davidson began his career carving in wood and argillite (the soft shale found only in British Columbia), and has since expanded his repertoire to include sculpture in stone, bronze, wood and plaster; paintings on both paper and deerskin drums; drawings, sketches and prints; and jewellery in silver and gold. In 1969 he erected a totem pole at Masset, Canada - the first new one raised in living memory. He went on to carve poles for Montreal (1970), Dublin (1973), and others in Japan, the U.S.A. and Germany. This book appears in conjunction with a retrospective exhibition at the Vancouver Art Gallery, Canada. Essays describe Davidson's career and his place in the Haida tradition, and the artist himself provides extensive comments on the symbolic content of every piece.
A comprehensive overview of his oeuvre in all media includes many reproductions of work seen from different angles to emphasize their sculptural qualities.