Drawing Item Number: 3223/27 from the MOA: University of British Columbia
Description
A drawing on a tan coloured bookmark. The front-side of the bookmark is a vertically oriented, hand-drawn image of a killer whale with an exaggerated dorsal fin and pectoral flipper. The body of the whale is positioned in the lower half of the bookmark with the tail curved around so it nearly touches the whale's head. The dorsal fin, decorated with an ovoid and four tower-shapes(?), extends from the middle to the top left corner of the bookmark. An elongated diamond surrounding the eye, a cross near the nose, and large triangular teeth extending from the upper jaw, decorate the whale's head. The blowhole releases air; the air, drawn as swirls of dashed lines, extends from the middle of the bookmark to the top left corner. The pectoral flipper is embellished with a wide arch filled with a crisscross pattern and two ovoids. Between the pectoral flipper and the dorsal fin is a lightly drawn inverted human skull. The artist's signature, a "M" with a line drawn through it and two dots, is placed at the bottom of bookmark. The reverse-side of the bookmark is machine-printed in black ink. At the top, there is an image of a man in overalls reading a book, below is a quote from Sara Nelson, and the bookstore's commercial information including the store's name, "Literati Books," location and phone number.
History Of Use
These 62 small works (3223/1-62) comprise a collection of drawings in pencil, ink, pencil crayon, and felt pen made by the artist between the years 1968 and 2015. During that period the artist has identified himself by the following names: Ron Hamilton; Hupquatchew; Ki-ke-in; Kwayatsapalth; Chuuchkamalthnii; and Haa’yuups. The drawings are, for the most part, applied to the backs of bookmarks acquired from a range of bookshops; some are applied to other pieces of paper or cutouts from his earlier silkscreen prints. Many of the images represent killer whales, often in conjunction with accoutrements and symbols of Nuu-chah-nulth whaling. The juxtaposition of bookmark and representation of Nuu-chah-nulth himwits’a, or narrative, is a deliberate and meaningful placement of two distinct knowledge systems in relationship with one another. Ephemeral drawings like these were not created for the market; the artist has long made them for himself and sometimes as gifts for relatives and friends; they are a way of sharing his knowledge and experience about Nuu-chah-nulth ways of knowing, thinking about, and being in this world; they are expressive of what he calls kiitskiitsa: marks made with intention.
Item History
- Made by Ron Hamilton (Maker) in British Columbia, Canada between 1968 and 2015
- Owned by Ron Hamilton before November 8, 2016
- Received from Museum of Anthropology Acquisitions Budget (Funding source), Michael O'Brian Family Foundation (Funding source) and Ron Hamilton (Seller) on November 18, 2016
What
- Name
- Drawing
- Identification Number
- 3223/27
- Type of Item
- drawing
- Overall
- height 17.9 cm, width 5.3 cm
Who
- Culture
- Nuu-chah-nulth: Hupacasaht
- Creator
- Ron Hamilton (Maker)
- Previous Owner
- Ron Hamilton
- Received from
- Museum of Anthropology Acquisitions Budget (Funding source), Michael O'Brian Family Foundation (Funding source) and Ron Hamilton (Seller)
Where
- Holding Institution
- MOA: University of British Columbia
- Made in
- British Columbia, Canada
When
- Creation Date
- between 1968 and 2015
- Ownership Date
- before November 8, 2016
- Acquisition Date
- on November 18, 2016
Other
- Item Classes
- works on paper
- Condition
- excellent
- Current Location
- Case 9
- Accession Number
- 3223/0027