Carrying on “Irregardless”: Humour in Contemporary Northwest Coast Art Paperback – October 1, 2012
by Peter Morin (Author), Martine J. Reid (Author), Mike Robinson (Author)
Carrying on “Irregardless” is a handsomely illustrated paperback based on the first exhibition to focus on humour in Northwest Coast First Nations art. The show, mounted by the Bill Reid Gallery of Northwest Coast Art in Vancouver is titled after one of Bill Reid’s favourite deliberate grammatical blunders that were part of the sense of humour that, as Martine J. Reid says in her introduction, “was perhaps a part of his survival kit, as it often seems to be for First Nations people.”
Within this book are the photographed artworks of twenty-eight prominent Northwest Coast artists, including such varied approaches to humour as a rare prehistoric Coast Salish bowl featuring a smiling face carved from stone, a 1990s etching depicting Raven and the First Men Overlooking Wreck Beach (to catch a glimpse at all the nudists, of course!) and a pair of red and yellow cedar bark high heels titled Too Haida. Collected here are artworks that act as political weapons, bold challenges to stereotypes, and nods to the Trickster. They satirize, ridicule and play. And, above all, they make us laugh, and think, and laugh again.
Accompanying the work are descriptions, quips and jokes from the artists themselves. And preceding it stands three impassioned contextualizing essays that range from the poetic to the academic to the anecdotal, by Tahltan artist, stand-up comedian and co-curator, Peter Morin; Director of Content and Research for the Bill Reid Gallery of Northwest Coast Art and co-curator, Martine J. Reid; and CEO of the Bill Reid Trust and Director for the Bill Reid Gallery of Northwest Coast Art, Mike Robinson.
Editorial Reviews
About the Author
Peter Morin is a Tahltan artist, stand-up comedian and co-curator of the Bill Reid Gallery.
Product details
- Paperback: 120 pages
- Publisher: Harbour (October 1, 2012)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 0981234127
- ISBN-13: 978-0981234120
- Product Dimensions: 7.5 x 0.2 x 9.4 inches
- Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces
- Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars 1 customer review
- Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,601,884 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
Five Stars
November 5, 2014
Format: Paperback|Verified Purchase
Funny, irreverent, great approach,. Recommended by a colleague, everything I was led to expect.
