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Specific Techniques

The images were done on mylar rather than cut stencils.

History Of Use

Northwest Coast serigraphs are a contemporary art form, deriving from early 20th century drawings of traditional crest and decorative designs, commissioned by anthropologists and undertaken by artists such as Charles Edenshaw. Residential schools reinforced the medium, while discouraging the use of traditional themes. An important series of traditional designs in coloured pencil and watercolour were done by Mungo Martin for UBC in 1949-50. The 1960's saw the rapid growth of prints, first in unlimited poster editions, and later with the establishment of the Gitanmaax School of Northwest Coast Indian Art at 'Ksan (1967), and of the Northwest Coast Indian Artists Guild (1977), limited edition art runs became the standard. Northwest Coast silkscreen prints are part of the mainstream art market, as well as, functioning within the native context as potlatch gifts, and commemorative prints. Although, there are distinctive regional styles, individual artists may work in several styles, or apply unique themes and variations to specific works.

Cultural Context

contemporary art

Iconographic Meaning

The original design element comes from a design on a bentwood box side panel, owned by Wilson's family. Wilson writes: "This simple arrangement is a synthesis of the painted [Northwest Coast] artform and a perfect artistic metaphor to portray the disintegration of traditional NWC culture after European contact--so the disintegrating symbol mimicks the loss of NWC culture." In 2011, Wilson added the pencil drawing of a path of footprints as a metaphor symbolizing the positive side of Northwest Coast history, to counter the disintegration metaphor. The footprints represent the people who cared about NWC people, culture and art, trodding an upward path--back up to where the whole design elements appear.

Description

Series of design units. At the top right, there is a black and white banded ovoid with a u-shape extending on the top right side and the lower left side. U forms have black band to the outside, a second band has diagonal lines across, and a split u at the ovoid. Below and to the left, there is a second unit as the first except it has a scratched appearance and is broken where the u form and the ovoid join. Third unit is below and to the right and is further scratched and divided. Across the bottom, there are disconnected and very scratched segments of the same design. Below the image, there is a written pencil inscription which reads: 18/30 "When Worlds Collide" Lyle Wilson 3/13/79. The print is on vertically rectangular, white deckle edged paper with the bottom left edge cut on an angle. Framed.