The Anthropology of Turquoise: Reflections on Desert, Sea, Stone, and Sky

The Anthropology of Turquoise: Reflections on Desert, Sea, Stone, and SkyIn this invigorating mix of natural history and adventure, artist naturalist Ellen Meloy uses turquoise the color and the gem to probe deeper into our profound human attachment to landscape. From the Sierra Nevada, the Mojave Desert, the Yucatan Peninsula, and the Bahamas to her home ground on the high plateaus and deep canyons of the Southwest, we journey with Meloy through vistas of both great beauty and great desecration. Her keen vision makes us

In this invigorating mix of natural history and adventure, artist-naturalist Ellen Meloy uses turquoise--the color and the gem--to probe deeper into our profound human attachment to landscape.

From the Sierra Nevada, the Mojave Desert, the Yucatan Peninsula, and the Bahamas to her home ground on the high plateaus and deep canyons of the Southwest, we journey with Meloy through vistas of both great beauty and great desecration. Her keen vision makes us look anew at ancestral mountains, turquoise seas, and even motel swimming pools. She introduces us to Navajo "velvet grandmothers" whose attire and aesthetics absorb the vivid palette of their homeland, as well as to Persians who consider turquoise the life-saving equivalent of a bullet-proof vest. Throughout, Meloy invites us to appreciate along with her the endless surprises in all of life and celebrates the seduction to be found in our visual surroundings.

Binding Type: Paperback
Publisher: Vintage
Published: 07/08/2003
ISBN: 9780375708138
Pages: 323
Weight: 0.51lbs
Size: 8.01h x 5.14w x 0.77d
Award: Utah Book Award - Winner

Review Citations: Kliatt 11/01/2003 pg. 30