Qullik, Qimmilaaq, Six Fish, Fish Weir

Description

‘Qullik’, ‘Qimmilaaq’, ‘Six Fish’, and ‘Fish Weir’ – Chine-collé suite of four prints by Sheojuk Etidlooie – Inuit Art – Cataloged with Cape Dorset 2000, commissioned by Feheley Fine Arts, presented by DaVic Gallery of Native Canadian Arts.

Print titles and measurements:

• ‘Qullik (Seal Oil Lamp)’ – (H x W): 12 ½ x 12 ¾ in | 32 x 32 cm
• ‘Qimmilaaq (Puppy)’ –  (H x W): 12 ¾ x 12 ¾ in | 32 x 32 cm
• ‘Six Fish’ –  (H x W): 25 ¾ x 19 ¾ in | 65 x 50 cm
• ‘Fish Weir’ – (H x W): 15 ¾ x 15 ¾ in | 40 x 40 cm

Condition:          All four prints show in very good clean condition.  Fish Weir shows two small faint stains on the top right margin that resemble finger prints that are not caused by grease but perhaps ink residue during printing.

Description by Artist:     No description by artist found.

Notes from DaVic Gallery:   This beautiful suite of four Presentation Proof prints with Sheojuk Etidlooie’s designs was commissioned by Feheley Fine Arts and completed in 1999 after the artist’s death.  For this reason these prints display the embossed chop by West Baffin Eskimo Co-operative and are unsigned.  All four prints are of different dimensions and this makes this suite more interesting than other suites that normally would be of the same size.  They all use the same print technique of Etching with Chine-collé printed on Arches paper at Studio PM, Montreal by Paul Machnik.

It is interesting that the four prints present four different topics, an oil lamp, a puppy, six fish and a fish weir. This makes the more intriguing for the collector deciding how or why they belong together.  Each of the designs is very intriguing individually and difficult for me to even venture an analysis or perspective.  I can share though that perhaps I feel attraction to Sheojuk’s designs for their rawness, child-like naiveté, and honesty similar to what we see with PARR and Luke Anguhadluq, although this is all from female’s perspective of her perceptions from her life and activities.

In Qullik, we can see the lamp, the flames, the entrance to the igloo, and then … is that an eye in the middle of the Qullik?  In Qimmilaaq, are the two hinds in the back legs or one is leg and the other the tail?  Six Fish simplistically arranged equally 3 and three all facing opposite sides, ready for slicing perhaps?  Finally, I find Fish Weir most challenging to identify the components within.  I am sure this will give you hours and days of research and interpretation.