Kayaks, Umiaks, 5 Whales
$3,500.00
Available
Description
Untitled (Kayaks, Umiaks, 5 Whales) by Kiakshuk – Inuit Art – Cape Dorset 1961 print collection presented by DaVic Gallery of Native Canadian Arts. Framing recommended for display.
Condition: Very Good condition – Professionally restored for paper handling marks and light discoloration of the paper. Photos now updated after restoration work.
Description by Artist: No description by artist found.
Notes from DaVic Gallery: Rare and very collectible print by Kiakshuk. Cape Dorset Revisited 1994 – a collection of previously unreleased prints, exhibited at selected commercial Galleries, organized by West Baffin Eskimo Co-op. West Baffin Co-op was only permitted to release prints approved by Canadian Eskimo Arts Council but because of effort and time required for print production the Cape Dorset printmakers would go ahead and edition all candidate prints ahead of selection process. This meant that full editions of certain prints were never marketed. Beginning in 1990s, Dorset Fine Arts began releasing these historical print editions, which included beautiful editions such as this one.
The Cape Dorset prints released for the 1994 McMichael exhibition Cape Dorset Revisited (most of which date from the 1960s) were chosen by the famous printmakers Iyola Kingwatsiak and Kananginak Pootoogook. Susan Gustavison notes that their selection was based on both aesthetics and content. She particularly remarks on this delightful image by Kiakshuk: “Another issue of interest to both artists, particularly to Kananginak, was the depiction of traditional Inuit culture. The print by Kiakshuk, (cat. 9) shows the drag used by hunters to slow and tire a wounded whale trying to escape capture. Kananginak has heard of this hunting technique, common in the old days, but he has never seen it used. At the same time Kananginak and Iyola expressed some reservations about Kiakshuk’s whales. They found them a little emaciated!” (Arctic Expressions, p. 96)
The blank sheet of letter-size (8.5” x 11”) paper covering part of the image is for size reference (last picture).