PARR (1893-1969) KINNGAIT (CAPE DORSET), Hunters with Rifles and Dogs Approach a Walrus, c. 1965-7

We are titling this drawing by Parr in deference to Mame Jackson’s description of a very similar work in her 1988 exhibition catalogue Parr: His Drawings. [1] Although arguably some of the central figures might be children, they certainly dominate an image that seems to emphasize community celebration or encouragement rather than hunting. In her catalogue essay Jackson suggests that Parr’s “[h]unting themes are not depicted as specific instances in time but, rather, are removed from historic time and attain an emblematic quality suggesting timelessness and permanence.” [2] Thus, the animals seen here do not illustrate captured prey but rather symbolize their part in the cycle of life. This charming and joyful mid-career drawing was likely made a year or so after Parr began using coloured pencils and crayons in 1963.

1. Marion E. Jackson, Parr: His Drawings, (Halifax: Art Gallery, Mount St. Vincent University, 1988), cat. 15.

2. Ibid., “Parr’s Drawings: The Marks of a Hunter” (pp. 5-6:5).

References: For examples of contemporaneous drawings by Parr see Ingo Hessel, “The Drawings of Parr: A Closer Look” in IAQ, (Fall 1988), 14-20; Marion E. Jackson, Parr: His Drawings, (Halifax: Art Gallery, Mount Saint Vincent University, 1988); and Drew Armour, “Parr: A Unique Canadian Artist” in Canadian Antiques & Art Review, (April 1981), pp. 30-35. For information about the artist, see Terry Ryan, “Parr” in The Beaver, Autumn 1979; this article was subsequently reprinted in Alma Houston, ed. Inuit Art: An Anthology, (Winnipeg: Watson & Dwyer, 1988) pp. 38-41.

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PARR (1893-1969) KINNGAIT (CAPE DORSET)

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