Raven With Broken Beak
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Description
‘Raven With Broken Beak’ by Wayne Young – First Nations Northwest Coast Nisga’a Art presented by DaVic Gallery of Native Canadian Arts.
This print is now ** SOLD **
Condition: no condition noted.
Description by Artist: ‘Raven With Broken Beak‘ – “The on-going story of the mischievous Raven continues as he no sooner gets out of one tough spot then he gets into another.
In his last adventure the Raven had encountered the big fisherman, who unceremoniously tied him to a huge rock and threw him into the sea. So this story takes off from the time he was tied to a rock and sinking fast. As a transformer, the Raven knew how to save himself. He quickly changes himself into a salmon and swims out of his ties, feeling he came out ahead. As luck would have it the first thing the Raven, in the form of a salmon, runs into a Killer Whale. With no chance of out-running the Whale, he is swallowed whole, so he finds himself in the stomach and no place to go. As a salmon, he had no chance of getting out, so he immediately transforms back into the form of a raven and starts to eat his way out of the whale’s stomach. This plan of action is a total success and he escapes, leaving a gaping hole on the under belly of the whale. So everything is well and good as the Raven swims for the surface. As usual, the Raven’s desire for personal and instant gratification clouds his judgment when he spots a clump of kelp dangling in his face. He cannot resist as he lunges for the kelp. In an instant he knows he has made a mistake, because right away he feels great pain because of a hook and line embedded in the kelp. In the ensuing struggle with the fisherman who caught him, the Raven’s beak is caught on the hook while he hangs onto the coral at the bottom of the sea. Raven’s beak is yanked off and he then goes after the fisherman. He finds help by tricking Whale onto the beach, and scaring the fisherman away. Raven then transforms into an old man and finally gets his beak back. The injured whale was then eaten by the villagers. To this day the Haida do not hunt whales but only eat ones that wash up on shore.”
Notes from DaVic Gallery: This Limited Edition silkscreen prints titled “Raven with Broken Beak” by Wayne Young was published in April, 2000. It was hand produced by the screen-printing process. It is the only limited edition printing of this design. The artist was involved in the printmaking, checking the stencils and signing each copy in the edition: 160 signed and numbered copies, 16 artist’s proofs, 16 Remarque’s and 1 printer’s proof. 3 Hors de Commerce copies exist and are defaced and all other trial copies have been destroyed and the printing stencils obliterated.