Luke Iksiktaaryuk, one of the most celebrated sculptors from Baker Lake, carved exclusively in caribou antler; his antler compositions are notable for their solemnity, expressive power, and minimalist forms. In Grasp Tight the Old Ways, Jean Blodgett speaks to Luke Iksiktaaryuk’s “economy of means” in the realization of these works. She also notes that “the same economic, almost austere, style is characteristic of Iksiktaaryuk’s graphics, where lines are used to maximum effect” [1]. Crane is a striking image that indeed exemplifies Iksiktaaryuk’s sparing use of line and colour. It is also notable in that it was the very first stencil print made at the Baker Lake print shop in 1969 after the arrival of Jack and Sheila Butler [2]. Kudos not only to Iksiktaaryuk for creating the original drawing, but also to young Nakturalik, the printmaker trained to create this lovely print.

1. Blodgett, Grasp Tight the Old Ways, 1983, p. 46.

2. Sheila Butler, The Beaver, Spring 1976, p. 22; reprinted in Alma Houston, ed., Inuit Art: An Anthology, 1988, p. 111.

References: For major works and a discussion of the artist see Norman Zepp, Pure Vision: The Keewatin Spirit, (Regina: Norman Mackenzie Art Gallery, 1986), pp. 48-51 and 130-139. For other examples of Luke’s prints, see First Arts, Toronto, 13 July 2021, Lot 70, and First Arts, Toronto, 23 March 2023, Lot 84.