The Inuit Gallery of Eskimo Art in Toronto, founded by the visionary Canadian art dealer Av Isaacs in 1970, held an exhibition of sculpture from Arviat titled Rugged and Profound in 1987. Those descriptive words have stayed with me all this time when I think about Kivalliq sculpture in general; indeed, I may have already borrowed the phrase once or twice over the years to describe the work of Kavik and perhaps Tiktak. Looking at the group of remarkable sculptures by these two artists that we have collected for this Fall’s live auction, I can find no more fitting words to sum up my feelings about them.
In my caption for John Tiktak’s Cluster of Heads (Lot 109, I write, “…when we encounter Tiktak’s art, we experience not just an aesthetic and intellectual reaction but also a deep emotional and even visceral one.” This certainly applies to John Kavik’s art as well. And I have to say, when I look at images of the five works by these artists all together, I am almost overwhelmed. My words seem to me like a tepid understatement! The early champions of Tiktak’s and Kavik’s work – collectors and scholars such as Robert Williamson, George Swinton, Peter Millard, Stanley Zazelenchuk, and Norman Zepp – were all right on the money. These are sculptors whose works will stand the test of time.
It has been one of the great privileges of my life to be able to admire, physically handle, and write about sculptures by these two giants of Canadian art. I wish that all of you could see these masterpieces in person. The range of emotions and feelings that these powerful works convey and elicit is nothing short of astonishing. Please let us know if you have questions about them.
Ingo Hessel
Lot 84
JOHN KAVIK (1897-1993) KANGIQLINIQ (RANKIN INLET)
Figure with Upraised Arms, 1972
stone, 10.25 x 5.75 x 3.25 in (26 x 14.6 x 8.3 cm)
ESTIMATE: $10,000 — $15,000
View Images and Details
Lot 109
JOHN TIKTAK, R.C.A. (1916-1981) KANGIQLINIQ (RANKIN INLET)
Cluster of Heads, c. 1970
stone, 9.25 x 11 x 6 in (23.5 x 27.9 x 15.2 cm)
ESTIMATE: $15,000 — $25,000
View Images and Details
Lot 120
JOHN TIKTAK, R.C.A. (1916-1981) KANGIQLINIQ (RANKIN INLET)
Mother and Child, c. 1968-72
stone, 5.25 x 5.25 x 2 in (13.3 x 13.3 x 5.1 cm)
ESTIMATE: $12,000 — $18,000
View Images and Details
Lot 129
JOHN KAVIK (1897-1993) KANGIQLINIQ (RANKIN INLET)
Standing Man, early 1980s
stone, 20 x 7.5 x 4 in (50.8 x 19.1 x 10.2 cm)
ESTIMATE: $12,000 — $18,000
View Images and Details
Lot 130
JOHN KAVIK (1897-1993) KANGIQLINIQ (RANKIN INLET)
Hooded Face, early to mid 1970s
stone, 6.25 x 4 x 2.75 in (15.9 x 10.2 x 7 cm)