Front cover image for Susan Point, spindle whorl

Susan Point, spindle whorl

Susan A. Point, Grant Arnold (Editor), Bill McLennan, Vancouver Art Gallery (Host institution, Publisher)
Susan Point: Spindle Whorl' surveys the works of Coast Salish artist Susan Point that employ the spindle whorl. "Coast Salish" refers to a disparate group of Indigenous peoples settled in the Pacific Northwest. In the US they reside in Washington State and in Oregon, while in Canada they reside in British Columbia. The "spindle whorl" refers to a carved, circular plate attached to the end of a wooden spindle that acts to lend weight during the wool spinning process. In Coast Salish tradition spindle whorls are carved with powerful, symmetrical designs which blur and merge as the spindle turns. In Point's work, the spindle whorl is frequently used to make two-dimensional work, such as paper screen prints, in addition to being used with the traditional three-dimensional mediums of glass, wood carving, rawhide drums and wool. Due to her mixed-media use of the spindle whorl, Point is widely credited with introducing the tool into modern art. Point's work is discussed in the context of Canadian modern art in a Foreword by Kathleen S Bartels, Director of the Vancouver Art Gallery. Exhibition: Vancouver Art Gallery, Canada (18.02.-28.05.2017)

Print Book, English, 2017
Vancouver Art Gallery, Vancouver, BC, Canada, 2017