Women at the Fish Lakes Item Number: Na912 from the MOA: University of British Columbia
Description
Fishing scene in three levels: at top profile bird, profile human with implement, stone cairn; centre level has stone cairn, frontal woman holding leister, small cairn; bottom level has small cairn, one fish, frontal woman wearing goggles and holding leister and harpoon. Undulating sky, land and seascape background. Pencil inscription below image from side on left: Cape Dorset stylized red igloo seal, name of printmaker in Inuit syllabics, "Women at the fish lakes lithograph 9/75 Dorset Pudlo 1976," name of artist in Inuit syllabics, Canadian Eskimo Arts Council's blind embossed stamp.
History Of Use
Contemporary Inuit prints were first produced at Cape Dorset in 1957. Although precursors to printmaking can be seen in women's skin applique work and in men's incising of ivory, stone and bone, the impetus for printmaking was as a commercial venture. This venture was established jointly by Inuit artists and John Houston, the civil administrator for Cape Dorset. Other Inuit communities quickly followed the commercial success of Cape Dorset's West Baffin Eskimo Cooperative. Printmaking developed as a communal activity following a Japanese, rather than a Western, model of serigraph production. Each year the cooperatives produce a series of limited edition prints which are sold in the retail art market. In 1965, the Canadian Eskimo Arts Council was established from the Canadian Eskimo Art Committee to ensure high standards were maintained. Printmaking, along with stone carving, provide cash income for communities which have undergone rapid and significant change, during the late 20th century, from traditional hunting based societies to settled communities dependent on consumer goods. The prevalent images depicted in Inuit art are of traditional life, arctic animals and mythology. Recently, contemporary subjects have been depicted by a minority of artists.
Cultural Context
contemporary art
Item History
- Made by Pudlo Pudlat (Maker) and Pitseolak Niviaqsi (Technician) in Cape Dorset, Nunavut, Canada and Kinngait, Nunavut, Canada during 1976
- Collected before 1983
- Owned by Guenter Adolphs before December 15, 1983
- Received from Guenter Adolphs (Donor) on December 15, 1983
What
- Name
- Women at the Fish Lakes
- Identification Number
- Na912
- Type of Item
- Manufacturing Technique
- lithographed and printed
- Overall
- height 15.0 in, width 18.7 in
Who
- Culture
- Inuit
- Creator
- Pudlo Pudlat (Maker) and Pitseolak Niviaqsi (Technician)
- Previous Owner
- Guenter Adolphs
- Received from
- Guenter Adolphs (Donor)
Where
- Holding Institution
- MOA: University of British Columbia
- Made in
- Cape Dorset, Nunavut, Canada and Kinngait, Nunavut, Canada
When
- Creation Date
- during 1976
- Collection Date
- before 1983
- Ownership Date
- before December 15, 1983
- Acquisition Date
- on December 15, 1983
Other
- Item Classes
- works on paper
- Condition
- good
- Current Location
- Case 47
- Accession Number
- 0914/0182