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Description

Four red, blue, and black faces. The top face takes up half of the print while the second face takes up half of the remaining print, and the twins are at the bottom left and right corners separated by a design. The eyes of the larger faces have the head of a figure in profile as pupils surrounded by a blue area. Their noses are upside down black tear drop shapes with a circle in the middle and red nostrils that are black within. The open red mouths show even rows of teeth. The nose and the mouths of the twins are similar. The middle face has hands facing outward with red ovoid palms. Edged in black. Pencil inscription along the bottom reads 'Museum Proof 2/3 Kwagiut Family Portrait D. Neel 96'. The print is on a vertically rectangular, light yellow paper piece.

Iconographic Meaning

Depicts the universal family in a set of four faces, the composition inspired by Northwest coast bentwood box designs. For the artist specifically, it depicts his twins, Jamie and Ellen in the corners, Edwin the oldest in the middle, and the artist above with hands outstretched holding the children. It is a celebration of the strength, resiliency and love of a family. It is also a tribute to the people who supported the artist's family through a challenging time.

Cultural Context

contemporary art

History Of Use

It is Kwakwaka'wakw tradition for artists to record and portray their history and geneology through art. 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 Art at 'Ksan (1967), and of the Northwest Coast 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.