Wood Engravings and Drawings of Iain Macnab of Bara-chastlain by Albert Garrett (review)

Books 173 Wood Engravings and Drawings of Iain Macnab of Barachastlain . Albert Garrett. Midas, Tunbridge Wells, England, 1973. 116 pp., illus. f3.50. Reviewed by Doreen Walker* This book provides the reader with surprising dividends. In addition to a broad discussion of Macnab’s wood engravings and drawings (and many illustrations), Garrett includes a biographical account of Macnab (1890-1967), a major contributor to the British school of engraving, and information on the history of engraving processes, techniques of print-making, history and uses of papers and key artists and tendencies in the graphic arts. Illustrations are used to clarify technical matters. A selected bibliography and a subject index are provided. In the biography there are included reminiscences from the author’s experiences as a student and friend of Macnab. Only on occasion do Garret’s personal anecdotes form an uneasy union with factual information. The weakness of the book lies in the intermittent inclusion of material that seems to me to be superfluous. His major theme, however, is clear: Iain Macnab, who committed himself to wood engraving, played a major role, both as artist and teacher in London, in the recent revival of interest in the medium. Nuba Personal Art. James C. Faris. Duckworth, London, 1972. 130 pp., illus. f4.95. Self-Decoration in Mount Hagen. Andrew and Marilyn Strathern. Duckworth, London, 1971. 208 pp., illus. f4.50. Bangwa Funerary Sculpture. Robert Brain and Adam Pollock. Duckworth, London, 1971. 148 pp., illus. W O O . House Decoration in Nuhia. Marian Wenzel. Duckworth, London, 1972. 227 pp., illus. f5.95. Reviewed by Jack D. Flam** These are the first four books in the publisher’s ‘Art and Society Series’ that were prepared under the general editorship of Peter J. Ucko. The declared purpose of the series is to present in-depth studies of ‘some of the more remarkable local art forms which . . . are in danger of debasement or extinction, and to relate them to the way of life of the societies in which they are produced.’ Not only is this purpose commendable, it is also admirably realized in the books at hand. All four books, based on original field research, are very well produced, copiously and meaningfully illustrated (in color and black and white), and-despite their intense specialization-should be interesting even to non-specialists. The Faris book, despite its somewhat heavy prose, should be of particular interest to artists and aestheticians, as well as to social scientists. A study of body decoration among the Southeastern Nuba (located in Kordofan Province, in the Democratic Republic of the Sudan), the book is divided into two major sections, Art in Context, and Design and Form. The first section describes the historical, environmental, social and cultural contexts of Nuba body decoration, as well as the materials and techniques employed. The second section is devoted to the classification and significance of the designs, with special attention given to selection, syntax and structural logic. Superbly illustrated with photographs taken by the author, the book is not only an excellent study of a specific geographical area but also a valuable contribution to the study of aesthetics, graphic systems and visual conceptualization . The Strathern book deals with self-decoration in the Mount Hagen area of the New Guinea highlands. Here decoration includes not only treatment of the body but also the elaborate use of headdresses, necklaces, armlets, bracelets, bones etc.-as well represented in over a hundred illustrations. The text discusses the geographical and cultural background, the techniques and categories of *Dept. of Fine Arts, University of British Columbia, Vancouver 8, Canada. **5 rue des Chantiers, 75005 Paris, France. decoration, the meaning of decorations and the ideas that underlie their usage. The Brain and Pollock book deals with the sculpture of the Bangwa tribe of the eastern Cameroon grasslands. Proceeding from a general discussion of Bangwa society and culture, the book briefly surveys Bangwa sculptural forms and discusses the position, training and techniques of Bangwa artists. The most detailed and interesting chapter provides a fascinating description of a ‘cry-die’ or burial of a chief, in the course of which special attention is given to the structure of the secret societies that participate and to their...