|Devangana Sharma| The Atlantic Muse| Book Review | 2024-07-13 |
Hello Fellow Readers!
I have a new book to add to the shelves and a steaming new art review to go with it. Today "folks" we are going to walk through the folk art scene of Nova Scotia today with Ray Cronin's book- "Nova Scotia Folk Art: An Illustrated Guide". As usual, I recommend you get into a comfy spot and help yourself to a refreshing drink. Let's begin!
"Nova Scotia Folk Art: An Illustrated Guide ", authored by Ray Cronin, and published by Nimbus Publishing takes you on an exploration of folk art in Nova Scotia. Divided into three waves, featuring fifty artists, it hits the crème de la crème of folk art. Think of Joseph Norris, Ralph Boutilier, and my personal favourite the queen of folk art- Maud Lewis. Cronin tells readers what folk art in Nova Scotia truly is about through its comprehensive definition. Honouring the art that began in the shadows, "Nova Scotia Folk Art" is the book to read to educate yourself on the province's royalty art.
“Nova Scotia Folk Art ” is a testament to the province’s rich art history. I enjoyed how the book doesn’t make you spiral, because of how long it is, rather it makes you look forward to the next aspect. As Cronin leads through each of the three waves, I realised that he not only opens the front layer of each artist, but instead, creates a beautiful inside-out portrait for all of them.
One of the biggest things about this book is that there is no sugarcoating anything, Cronin always tells it as it is. It’s a bumpy journey, I'll tell you that, but it’s imperative in a story like this because you want to learn the full history, not just the fuzzy-warm parts.
Reading "Nova Scotia Folk Art " is an experience in itself. As Cronin begins to redefine the common interpretation of folk art, you see the true beauty of it. When you think about it, the first-wave artists didn’t even know that they were real artists, and for the book to portray their art with such colour shows how amazing it was. It was not just the portrayal of the artists, but you could also see it through the little things. For example, before the artist profiles had started there was an “Author’s Note”, clarifying that the waves in the book “are not rigid, but fluid ”. I don’t know why but reading that instilled joy in me. To me, it showed that lots of thought and work had been put into it. I think it might have been from there on out that I realised it was these little things that were going to make the book amazing.
Sometimes even the best of books can be heavy with information, yet it wasn’t information- heavy, rather it was visually heavy. It’s easy to get lost in the pages with this one because more often than not I felt there was too much information on a page- almost read like a textbook. Way to get lost in a book right? Now let me serve you the plot twist: the yellow and blue colour palette? Stunning to the human eye and managed to cancel out the visual heaviness. After all, balance is everything.
I believe the phrase “If the shoe shifts, wear it?” Was made for this book. What I mean is I feel like it reaches an audience larger than art enthusiasts. It’s a great book for students, for teachers, for interior designers- the list is endless. Since it has such a broad aspect for interpretation, I enjoyed creating multiple connections with different perspectives. As a student I thought about other research I had done that was similar to this, as an artist I compared my art with the endless inspiration in here. It was through these questions that I gained additional insight and knowledge.
Overall, I give this book 4.5/5. It was a delightful read that gave me a new perspective on folk art in Nova Scotia and a wonderful reading experience. Not only did I gain knowledge on the topic, but I also gained endless inspiration. If you are interested in reading about Nova Scotia art, folk art, or art in general, then this book was tailor-made for you. Thank you to Digitally Lit and Nimbus Publishing for giving the key to unlock this treasure of a reading experience.
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Interested in buying the book? Check out https://nimbus.ca/store/nova-scotia-folk-art.html
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