JOSIAH NUILAALIK (1928-2005) QAMANI'TUAQ (BAKER LAKE)
Bird Spirit, 1970 (1971 #45)
Printmaker: BASIL APTANIK (1952-) QAMANI'TUAQ (BAKER LAKE)
stonecut, 17.25 x 21.25 in (43.8 x 54 cm)
26/50
stonecut, 17.25 x 21.25 in (43.8 x 54 cm)
26/50
26
$ 750.00
Bird Spirit, the sole image Nuilaalik contributed to the annual Qamani'tuaq print catalogues, is an early exploration of transformation—a theme that would permeate his career as a sculptor. Even in...
Bird Spirit, the sole image Nuilaalik contributed to the annual Qamani'tuaq print catalogues, is an early exploration of transformation—a theme that would permeate his career as a sculptor. Even in this early work, his fascination with fluid boundaries between forms is unmistakable.
The print’s striking clarity and assured composition bring the intertwined forms of caribou and bird to life. Most notably, the caribou’s antlers subtly transform, becoming both its head and the bird’s second wing. It’s a subtle yet masterful detail that reveals Nuilaalik’s instinctive grasp of metamorphosis.
Provenance
Private Collection, Hamilton.Literature
Image reproduced in Estrellita Karsh, et. al, Shamans and Spirits: Myths and Medical Symbolism in Eskimo Art, (Ottawa: National Museum of Man, 1977), pl. 24, unpaginated.Join Our Mailing List