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Jan 8 – Feb 18
Includes assessment.
Must post first.
Students are required to visit the Winnipeg Art Gallery to view Inuit Art Exhibit in Qaumajug, “INUIT SANAUGANGIT Art Across Time” https://www.wag.ca/qaumajuq/
And Urban Shaman:
https://urbanshaman.org/exhibition_status/current/
Course module on Nexus: Readings in module
Students will write 400-500 words on visiting the two exhibits above. After – respond to two peers with a meaningful response.
I’ll provide you with links and videos and you need to do write accordingly. Also I have attatched my instructors welcome letter.Please strictly follow the instructions she mention while writing
https://www.nfb.ca/film/eskimo-artist-kenojuak/
https://www.dorsetfinearts.com/resources
https://nexus.uwinnipeg.ca/d2l/le/content/58838/viewContent/1664875/View
https://www.inuitartfoundation.org/iaq-online/healing-ink
Unformatted Attachment Preview
IS1016-006
Lecture #7
This Week:
This Week:
Read Chapter 7
Mar 8 & 10: Indigenous Art from 1900-1980 Moderns and Modernists
March 9: Discussion of the following themes
-Inuit Art – A Modernist Movement
March 10: Discussion of the following themes
-Artists and Activists in Canada: the 1970s and 80s
MIRO – Morrisseau & Janvier
2
The introduction of Modern Inuit Art
Paul Toolooktook (born 1947) Bird/Human Transformation no
date, stone, 6.2 x 4.8 x 2.2 cm. Gift of Samuel and Esther Sarick,
1988 ©Paul Toolooktook 2001
https://ago.ca/exhibitions/inuit-perspective-baker-lake-sculpture
https://www.wag.ca/qaumajuq/
https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/inuit-art
sananguaq
• A term derived from the words for “making”, “model”, “imitation” or “likeness”
• It is a way to say it is “from the real to the unreal” through creation of the art
• There is no word in Inuktitut, the Inuit language, to express the concept of “art”. “Today, the word used to represent the action of
sculpting is ‘sananguaq’ or ‘sananguagaq’ which possess a significant etymology: ‘sana’ means ‘to do’ and ‘nguaq’ relates to the
concept of ‘model, imitation, resemblance’. ” 1 (Open translation) Furthermore, in some Arctic regions, “nguaq” means “small”.
Therefore,
the term “sananguaq” offers a definition that can be applied quite well to sculpture in general and which could be summarized by:
a representation that resembles or imitates, in a smaller format, a certain reality, a fiction or even a narrative tale like, for instance,
a myth or legend.”
printmaking
Collaborative
signatures
https://www.dorsetfinearts.com/resources
Welcome!
I am your instructor Honoure Black. Below is information about me and some very important tips for success in this course.
You can refer to me in email as Professor Black, Honoure Black, or Instructor Black. Never Mam or Mrs.
I began my teaching career in 2012 for the School of Art at the University of Manitoba. Since then, have instructed
numerous courses relating to Indigenous studies, art and architectural history, and environmental design. I am a sessional
instructor, which means I teach at the University of Winnipeg and the University of Manitoba. As a settler White woman, I
am committed to settler colonial and Indigenous relationships, and collaboration communicated as artistic sovereign
expressions on the land and the decolonization of public space through art and design.
My PhD work is on public art and more specifically Indigenous public art in Winnipeg. I hold a MFA in Art History and
Visual Studies from the University of Victoria with previous research focused on transnational relationships through art
praxis and trade. In my personal life, I have two young daughters, three orange cats (yes, three) and a husband who
keeps it all together. I love to camp, garden, hike, and spend time in nature. My favourite ice cream is rocky road or mint
chocolate chip. Favourite books are too hard to choose, but some that come authors that come to mind: Katherena
Vermette, Robin Wall Kimmer, Elena Ferrante, and Desmond Cole. I am always excited to hear about a new movie or show
to binge!
Personal Note for the Class:
My hope is that we will get to know each other during this course and that you feel comfortable reaching out to me for
support. Distance education/asynchronous learning is going to feel different. Time management will be key. I am here to
support you. Please remain prepared, enthusiastic and with a willingness to jump in with both feet!
Contact Information
You can reach me at my university email account: [email protected] Please only email me once per inquiry and I will
respond as soon as possible. Responses are to be expected within 24 hours to 48 hours. I can help you with anything
content related, however, I cannot help with technological issues- that is an IST thing. For more information, visit:
http://umanitoba.ca/computing/ist/.
*If your question can be answered by reviewing Nexus- you may not receive an answer to your query.
ZOOM and Nexus are mandatory for this course. Make sure you are always checking your announcements, log on to Nexus
regularly and manage your student email.
During office hours- if you visit me, I ask that you turn your camera on, as I will have mine on.
1. The word count on all of your assignments is only inclusive of the body, it does not count citations, bibliography or
image captions. Be very conscious, edit your work, avoid repetition.
2. Do not pad your bibliography.
3. I do not preview student papers before submission. While I would like to do this, it is not feasible which is why the
university employs writing tutors (see Nexus).
4. I do not round up grades- never ask.
5. Citations and Paraphrasing: If you do not know what these are please visit the writing center. You must cite the
source of your information in your papers- Every Sentence. Failure to do so will result in an automatic F. This
applies to paraphrasing as well as direct quotations. If you didn’t know the information before your research- You
must cite. Plagiarism is a serious offense at the university.
6. Page numbers are mandatory for all citations. CHICAGO STYLE 17th Ed. ONLY- Footnote and Bibliography is
preferred. If there are no page numbers- you locate with chapter/section or paragraph number.
7. Please make sure you follow the Standards and expectations in your assignment guides.
8. I hope to see you in my office hour- communication is key.
I wish you all the best,
Honoure Black
The Inuit Sculpture of Nunavik – A historical summary
The following lines offer a short summary of the history of sculpture in Nunavik and provide a general portrait of its development. This information will hopefully help you
guide your students in the observation and appreciation of the art works you will present to them.
There is no word in Inuktitut, the Inuit language, to express the concept of “art”. “Today, the word used to represent the action of
sculpting is ‘sananguaq’ or ‘sananguagaq’ which possess a significant etymology: ‘sana’ means ‘to do’ and ‘nguaq’ relates to the concept
of ‘model, imitation, resemblance’. ” ¹ (Open translation) Furthermore, in some Arctic regions, “nguaq” means “small”. Therefore,
the term “sananguaq” offers a definition that can be applied quite well to sculpture in general and which could be summarized by:
a representation that resembles or imitates, in a smaller format, a certain reality, a fiction or even a narrative tale like, for instance,
a myth or legend.”
When we talk about Inuit sculpture, we mainly refer to the contemporary and post-contemporary sculptures which include the art
works made from 1948-1949 up to the present day. Indeed, in 1948, a young artist from Toronto named James Houston goes to
Port-Harrison (now Inukjuak) in Nunavik, where he develops a real passion toward Inuit sculpture. He gets offered and acquires
a few pieces which he hastens to show when he returns “South”. The keen interest for these sculptures is immediate and a real
market begins. In the following years, Houston travels through Nunavik in search of sculptures. He encourages the birth of new
talents, and thus contributes to the development of a new economy based on this new form of expression.
In the early 50’s, the rise of this new market arrives just at the right moment. The fur trade is not as lucrative as in the past and the
Inuit, especially the ones who started to settle down, find in the sculpture a new possibility for income. They represent the fauna
surrounding them as well as diverse scenes of their usual everyday life. In less than a decade, art works inspired by legends and
mythic tales start appearing. In the mind of the non-Inuit from the South, these are “traditional” sculptures, but for the Inuit themselves,
all these sculptures result directly from this new demand. However, we should not think that the Inuit did not sculpt before the mid
20th century. Effectively, although the commerce of sculptures develops principally after 1948, the Inuit were already using sculpture
as a bartering tool, notably, with the whalers who berthed on their coasts.
.
Well before the massive arrival of the “White Men”, the Inuit maintained a semi-nomadic life style. They lived by hunting, fishing and
picking, and traveled through their land according to the herds and seasons. They had to work arduously every day, in order to insure
their survival. Everybody, young and old alike, had specific functions and tasks to accomplish. Consequently, we can imagine that in
those days, the Inuit only devoted themselves to sculpture when weather conditions prevented them from going hunting or, by taking
advantage of the passing of strangers, they sculpted in order to trade their art works in exchange for foreign goods.
Before 1948, Inuit sculpture was mainly of a functional nature. The Inuit were sculpting in order to create tools – for hunting and fishing
amongst other things – utensils, receptacles and toys, which they used in their everyday life. Nevertheless, some of these objects could
have an aesthetic value in addition to being useful, like the “qulliq”, the oil lamp carved in steatite. It happened too that, sometimes,
they would also sculpt figurative pieces, but it appears that most of these pieces were of small dimensions, perhaps because of the
nomadic life style of their creators, but also because some of these art works were in fact ‘magico-religious’ objects.
Archaeological searches carried out in the Arctic have shown that the ancestors of the actual Inuit (the Thule people, and well before
them the pre-Dorset and Dorset people) also sculpted. According to the periods, they sculpted harpoons heads, figurines and
amulets. They did not only use stone, but also ivory, bones, antlers, as well as floating wood that they could find on the shore.
Although all these materials are still being used by sculptors from the North, when we think about Inuit sculpture the first thing that
comes to mind, usually, is “soapstone”. The term “soapstone”, in fact, designates diverse stones from the peridotite family. These
metamorphic stones are principally composed of mineral talc resulting from magnesium silicate. These are particularly soft and tender
stones, easily workable and their texture may remind one, in a way, of the texture of soap. In Nunavik, we find mostly steatite,
serpentine and serpentinite. These stones are sometimes grey, sometimes green, depending on the concentration of olivine they
contain. While green stones are polished in order to obtain a shiny green color, sculptors usually cover the grey stones with a black
wax (often, shoe shine is employed). Other stones can also be used for carving. For instance, in the extreme north of Quebec, near
Ivujivik, we can find an ochre limestone. Sculptors say, generally: the harder the stone, the more beautiful the sculpture created from it…
In the past, the Inuit made their sculpting tools from what they had at their disposal: stone, bones, floating wood, etc. Then, when
the first non-Inuit arrived in the North, the Inuit discovered metal, which they either exchanged with the foreigners or salvaged from
wrecked ships, and with which they could build new tools. Today, some sculptors use mechanical tools and electric grinders.
Nevertheless, whatever the era, the sequential order of the tools used remains the same. We rough-hew the stone with an axe or
an adze until freeing the main volume of the sculpture. Then, we define the volume and the details with knives and gouges. We file
and then polish with abrasives (nowadays, we use emery paper), progressing from the rougher to the finer and softer one. If desired,
to add the finishing touch, we shine (or wax) and add the final details.
Inuit sculpture differs depending on the region, be it Nunavik, Nunavut, Alaska or Greenland. In Nunavik, for instance, we note
a particularly pronounced narrative spirit. In addition, the presence of numerous details, more or less realistic, enriches the diverse
scenes of everyday life, figures and animals that are sculpted by the Inuit from Nunavik. To the experienced eye, there is a predominant
style from one village to the other, but also from one period to another. This style can be associated with the coloration or texture of
the primary matter available in the nearby region, or with a specific way of doing, or with a particular thematic. One thing remains
certain: like in any art, every artist, man or woman, develops his or her own style and his or her themes of predilection. Now it is up
to you to discover them!
¹ CANADIAN ESKIMO ARTS COUNCIL, Sculpture / Inuit, La sculpture chez les Inuit : chefs-d’œuvre de l’Arctique canadien, p. 45.
Sculptures
In order to familiarize yourself with Inuit sculpture from Nunavik, you are invited to discover our entire collection.
If you wish to quickly refine your searches…
earch”
– For sculptures representing animals, write down the name of the animal (seal, beluga, walrus, dog, bird, fish, etc.) in the “S
section.
– For sculptures representing items, write down the name of the object (knife, sled, etc.) in the “Search” section.
– For the art works of specific sculptors, write down the name of the sculptor in the “Search” section.
The following sculptors present a truly personal style: Davidialuk Alaasuaq AMITTUQ, Lucassie Qumaaluk ECHALOOK, Noah Arpatuq
ECHALOOK, Mattiusi Manukuluk IYAITUK, Henry Ainalik NAPARTUK.
Other web links
– Musée de Lyon / Dossier culturel inuit – 4 files in French accessible from:
http://www.museum-lyon.org/apedagogiques/dcinuit/fiches_them/ft1_art.htm
– The Canadian Encyclopedia / Inuit Art
http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.com/index.cfm?PgNm=TCE&Params=F1SEC910058
Bibliography
CANADIAN ESKIMO ARTS COUNCIL / CONSEIL CANADIEN DES ARTS ESQUIMAUX, Sculpture / Inuit, La sculpture chez les Inuit :
chefs-d’œuvre de l’Arctique canadien, University of Toronto Press, 1971, 496 pages.
WINNIPEG ART GALLERY, Port Harrison / Inoucdjouac, Winnipeg Art Gallery, 1982, 82 pages.
SALADIN D’ANGLURE, Bernard, La parole changée en pierre / Vie et œuvre de Davidialuk Alasuaq, artiste inuit du Québec
arctique, Les cahiers du patrimoine numéro 11, Gouvernement du Québec, Ministère des Affaires culturelles, Direction générale
du patrimoine, 1978, 124 pages.
SWINTON, George, Sculpture of the Inuit, The classic work, revised and updated, McClelland & Stewart Inc. / The Canadian
Publishers, Toronto, 1992, 290 pages.
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