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Cultural Context

contemporary art

Description

A bird with outstretched wings curving upward and inward. The head is in profile and facing to the right side with a black circle in circle eye surrounded by a tapering oval and a sideways red u form behind. The curved orange beak has a black ovoid nostril. The red mouth shows even rows of teeth. There is a sideways green u form and a black split u behind the mouth. There is a black inward curl below the chin. The six-feathered wings are connected by black u forms and a black circle in a circle at the end. The three innermost feathers have an orange, then a red, then a green u form with an orange oval at the end. The three outermost feathers have a green and then a red split u. There is a frontal face on the body. The black circle in circle eyes outlined by green are looking upward. The nose is an orange dot. The open mouth shows even rows of teeth outlined by red. The three-feathered tail each has a red and then a green u shape outlined by black. The red legs are at either sides with three digit orange claws that have black tips with a black circle in a circle at the centre. Pencil inscription along the bottom edge reads '19/23 AP KOLUS Beau Dick 91'. On a relatively square, white paper piece.

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 1960s 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 Artist 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.