People of the Inland

Description

‘People of the Inland’ by Jessie Oonark (Una), RCA, OC – Inuit Art – Cape Dorset 1961 print collection presented by DaVic Gallery of Native Canadian Arts.

Condition:          Very Good Condition – Professionally treated for paper discoloration and handling markings.  Minor puckered paper can be perceived top and lower margins, (picture # 5).

Description by Artist:     No description by artist found.

Notes from DaVic Gallery:   This is Jessie Oonark’s third print image released with Cape Dorset 1960 – 61 print collection before her prints were released with Baker Lake print collection.  Cape Dorset 1962 print collection already does not include images by Jessie Oonark.  These three prints are attributed to Jessie’s alternative name, “Una” and her name in syllabic is marked in chop rather than signed by hand as in her later prints released with Baker Lake’s print collections.  This 59 year old print copy is in very good condition considering its age and has been mildly restored for mild paper discoloration especially that in earlier years, such acid free conservation materials were not used.  It shows very well.  In this design that includes images from different drawings by Jessie Oonark, we can already see her interest in carefully representing clothing and female facial tattoos.  We see three female figures, the larger image of a woman with full face tattoos, the perhaps a younger woman with partial face tattoos.  The third and smaller female figure is a woman wearing amauti seen in profile.  There is fourth image, perhaps a male figure.    An interesting note is that the Eskimo Arts Council chop is not embossed blind but printed.

Note from Library & Archives from National Gallery of Canada: “The 1960-61 images were drawn by Oonark while she was living at Kazan River (on print), before Baker Lake had a print program. Her drawings were brought to Cape Dorset through the efforts of Mrs Sam Dodd, whose husband was the Baker Lake area administrator. The prints were produced in Cape Dorset and issued as part of the 1960 and 1961 collections.”

The blank sheet of letter-size (8.5” x 11”) paper covering part of the image in the last picture is for size reference.

The above description is copyrighted and licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. When using the copyrighted material, please credit DaVic Gallery of Native Canadian Arts.