Preview
Creation Date
1981
Call Number
Juvenile 398.2 P657 Ma 1981
Document Type
Image
Description
Notes: Gerald McDermott has been called a dream weaver, tale spinner, portrayer of visions, and interpreter of the human spirit. He is best known for his bold, graphic renderings of timeless tales from around the world. McDermott was just four years old when he was admitted to class at the Detroit Institute of Arts. His passion for the visual arts continued through high school, where the art curriculum was based on Bauhaus principles. Upon graduation, he was awarded a scholarship to New York’s Pratt Institute. After finishing his degree, McDermott began producing and directing a series of animated films on folklore. Intrigued by the transformative power of myth and by the possibilities of integrating cultural and archetypal symbols into his art, McDermott began to adapt his films into picture books. His first illustrated retelling of a West African folktale received a Caldecott Honor Medal in 1973; a Pueblo folktale received the Caldecott Award in 1975.
