The Desert Southwest
The desert Southwest. The elusive, almost-ignored "other" Southwest. Its art looks different--it's made in a different way, it's different philosophically. It's from a much different land, and it's a largely unrecognized national treasure. Originally lured to this "other" Southwest by its pottery, amateur historians Allan and Carol Hayes and photographer John Blom set out to discover more about the people who created it. Their quest led them to academic archives and historical documents, to the holdings of private and public art collections, and to archaeological ruins. The result is a fascinating story of 4,000 years of America's desert past, and of the Native, Hispanic, and Anglo peoples who have left traces of their lives buried beneath the sands. Each towering adobe pueblo, painted pot, shell bead, copper bell, and tobacco seed has a story to tell. With Blom's vivid color photographs (some showing artifacts never before made public) and the Hayeses' engaging text, The Desert Southwest invites the reader to explore this captivating region's conflicts and its immense human accomplishments, both expressed in its enduring art.