Post by Matthew S. Schweitzer on Aug 13, 2008 9:31:58 GMT -5
Just picked up the new book by artist Robert Griffing. It is the second volume of his fantastic Eastern Frontier art, much of which deals with the tribes and historical events of the Ohio Indian Wars.
www.paramountpress.com/naartofrogrg.html
Below is a review of the book from Muzzleloader magazine...
www.paramountpress.com/naartofrogrg.html
Below is a review of the book from Muzzleloader magazine...
Find out how they look? Find out how they look? Why would you want to find out how they look?
I fumbled for words. “Well,” I said, “I’d like to draw people from the different Indian nations—draw ‘em and paint ‘em. Nobody ever did it. If you try to find out how they look, you can’t. Nobody knows how they look.”
—Kenneth Roberts, Northwest Passage, page 84
In the passage above, the fictional character Langdon Towne is describing to a curious Maj. Robert Rogers as to why he wanted to paint Indians. This initial interview with the celebrated Maj. Rogers sent Langdon on an adventure that he would never forget. By the end of that adventure, he would have many opportunities to paint and capture on canvas the likenesses of native Americans.
Robert Griffing is on an adventure of his own. Since retiring from the commercial art world, he has embarked on a personal journey to paint in the truest form the likenesses of Woodland Indians and Colonial America. The Narrative Art of Robert Griffing, Vol. II, The Journey Continues, certainly would have satisfied Langdon Towne’s craving to know “how they look.”
Teaming up with the well-known historian and author Timothy J. Todish, who wrote the text for this volume, The Journey Continues picks up where the first volume left off. Todish writes in his introduction:
As we look back upon this era, we must remember that most of the people, whether Indian, French, or British, were simply doing the best they could to survive and provide for their families. While some of their actions would clearly be wrong by our standards today, when we judge them, we should do so in accordance with the beliefs of their own time. We must be careful to avoid what Texas historian Jesus de la Teja calls “anachronistic consciousness”, which simply stated means that we should not apply twenty-first century morality to those who lived in earlier times, but rather judge them by the standards of their own day. (viii)
Those few sentences sum up what the reader can expect from Todish’s text, that is, a very fair and non-judgmental view of the past as depicted in Griffing’s artwork. Further, Todish states, “While the text of the book will of necessity have only limited depth, we will attempt to look at these historic times honestly and truthfully. We will do so from a positive—rather than negative—viewpoint, stressing what is universally good and noble in the human spirit” (viii). Having Tim Todish along on this “journey” means that the book is guaranteed to be cross referenced with several incredible primary accounts from all the cultures that are represented. You can’t lose when these two are working together.
I can still remember the first time I took note of the artist Robert Griffing. It was while I was reading a copy of MUZZLELOADER that I came across an ad for Griffing’s print, entitled Seneca Scouts. In the print three Seneca warriors are searching for signs of the enemy. What immediately struck me was the authenticity of the warriors. Their shaven heads with scalp locks, Woodland clothing, packs and bedrolls, along with other accoutrements hung appropriately, their muskets were held in a way that suggested the warriors knew their use. I felt “drawn in” to the scene.
Perhaps that is the one true reason why Griffing’s artwork is so universally appreciated. His paintings make you feel as if you are a part of the scene itself. As I gazed upon the print Seneca Scouts so long ago, it was as if I could hear the warriors’ whispered conversation, smell the rich and loamy essence of the forest and take note of the trickling of the creek.
Readers who are familiar with Griffing’s first volume will be pleased to note that there are 135 all-new, dramatic images to absorb. These images are divided up amongst five chapters along with Todish’s illustrative text. These chapters are: “Faces of a Proud People,” “The Wilderness Way of Life,” “Trading in Uncertain Times,” “The Dark Days of War,” and “The Sun Sets on a Way of Life.”
In addition to all of the above, the book contains several different views of Fred Threlfall’s beautiful period maps. Used as the background image for the beginning of each chapter, the reader will find himself spending time soaking up the excellent detail. Fred is a talented artist in his own right, and this book is an excellent way to showcase that talent.
Readers are given fair warning however: once you pick up the book, it is extremely difficult to put down. If you’re unsure of where to begin, simply let the book fall open where it may. You will immediately be drawn into the 18th century Colonial frontier…
The Narrative Art of Robert Griffing is available from Paramount Press, Inc., PO Box 228, Stow NY 14785. Phone orders may call 800-647-2901, or visit their website at <www.paramountpress.com>.
I fumbled for words. “Well,” I said, “I’d like to draw people from the different Indian nations—draw ‘em and paint ‘em. Nobody ever did it. If you try to find out how they look, you can’t. Nobody knows how they look.”
—Kenneth Roberts, Northwest Passage, page 84
In the passage above, the fictional character Langdon Towne is describing to a curious Maj. Robert Rogers as to why he wanted to paint Indians. This initial interview with the celebrated Maj. Rogers sent Langdon on an adventure that he would never forget. By the end of that adventure, he would have many opportunities to paint and capture on canvas the likenesses of native Americans.
Robert Griffing is on an adventure of his own. Since retiring from the commercial art world, he has embarked on a personal journey to paint in the truest form the likenesses of Woodland Indians and Colonial America. The Narrative Art of Robert Griffing, Vol. II, The Journey Continues, certainly would have satisfied Langdon Towne’s craving to know “how they look.”
Teaming up with the well-known historian and author Timothy J. Todish, who wrote the text for this volume, The Journey Continues picks up where the first volume left off. Todish writes in his introduction:
As we look back upon this era, we must remember that most of the people, whether Indian, French, or British, were simply doing the best they could to survive and provide for their families. While some of their actions would clearly be wrong by our standards today, when we judge them, we should do so in accordance with the beliefs of their own time. We must be careful to avoid what Texas historian Jesus de la Teja calls “anachronistic consciousness”, which simply stated means that we should not apply twenty-first century morality to those who lived in earlier times, but rather judge them by the standards of their own day. (viii)
Those few sentences sum up what the reader can expect from Todish’s text, that is, a very fair and non-judgmental view of the past as depicted in Griffing’s artwork. Further, Todish states, “While the text of the book will of necessity have only limited depth, we will attempt to look at these historic times honestly and truthfully. We will do so from a positive—rather than negative—viewpoint, stressing what is universally good and noble in the human spirit” (viii). Having Tim Todish along on this “journey” means that the book is guaranteed to be cross referenced with several incredible primary accounts from all the cultures that are represented. You can’t lose when these two are working together.
I can still remember the first time I took note of the artist Robert Griffing. It was while I was reading a copy of MUZZLELOADER that I came across an ad for Griffing’s print, entitled Seneca Scouts. In the print three Seneca warriors are searching for signs of the enemy. What immediately struck me was the authenticity of the warriors. Their shaven heads with scalp locks, Woodland clothing, packs and bedrolls, along with other accoutrements hung appropriately, their muskets were held in a way that suggested the warriors knew their use. I felt “drawn in” to the scene.
Perhaps that is the one true reason why Griffing’s artwork is so universally appreciated. His paintings make you feel as if you are a part of the scene itself. As I gazed upon the print Seneca Scouts so long ago, it was as if I could hear the warriors’ whispered conversation, smell the rich and loamy essence of the forest and take note of the trickling of the creek.
Readers who are familiar with Griffing’s first volume will be pleased to note that there are 135 all-new, dramatic images to absorb. These images are divided up amongst five chapters along with Todish’s illustrative text. These chapters are: “Faces of a Proud People,” “The Wilderness Way of Life,” “Trading in Uncertain Times,” “The Dark Days of War,” and “The Sun Sets on a Way of Life.”
In addition to all of the above, the book contains several different views of Fred Threlfall’s beautiful period maps. Used as the background image for the beginning of each chapter, the reader will find himself spending time soaking up the excellent detail. Fred is a talented artist in his own right, and this book is an excellent way to showcase that talent.
Readers are given fair warning however: once you pick up the book, it is extremely difficult to put down. If you’re unsure of where to begin, simply let the book fall open where it may. You will immediately be drawn into the 18th century Colonial frontier…
The Narrative Art of Robert Griffing is available from Paramount Press, Inc., PO Box 228, Stow NY 14785. Phone orders may call 800-647-2901, or visit their website at <www.paramountpress.com>.
