Review by Choice Review
Gurche (Museum of the Earth) provides an intriguing glimpse into the complex process of making humanity's ancient lineage come alive for contemporary museum visitors. As a paleoartist, he walks a fine line between two very different worlds: that of the paleoanthropologist studying human origins and that of the modern artist using sculpture as a medium to convey that information to the public. In doing so, he uses evolutionary science to inform his work and a sense of aesthetics to ensure it tells a suitable story and makes a human connection. In this engaging book, Gurche describes and illustrates the fascinating step-by-step process by which he creates meaningful and lifelike sculptures of our ancient ancestors. Each chapter is devoted to a different member of the human evolutionary tree and includes up-to-date information about what scientists/anthropologists know (or think they know) about the natural history and culture of select species. Anatomical detail, as recorded in the fossil record, is included to help flesh out the appearance of an individual. This book will be of considerable interest to students of anthropology, fine arts, and museum sciences, as well as general readers interested in human origins. Summing Up: Highly recommended. All academic, professional, and general library collections. D. A. Brass independent scholar
Copyright American Library Association, used with permission.
Review by Choice Review
