First Arts: Inuit & First Nations Art

May 28, 2019

LOT 30

Lot 30

KENOJUAK ASHEVAK, C.C.. R.C.A. (1927-2013)

KENOJUAK ASHEVAK, C.C.. R.C.A. (1927-2013)
Lot 30 Details
KENOJUAK ASHEVAK, C.C.. R.C.A. (1927-2013), E7-1035, Cape Dorset / Kinngait

DOGS SEE THE SPIRITS

skin stencil
1960, 50/50
19 x 24 in — 48.3 x 61 cm

Estimate $9,000-$12,000

Realised: $28,800
Price Includes Buyer's Premium ?

Lot Report

Provenance:

a Montreal private collection

Note:

With the exception of the Inuit sea goddess (known locally as Taleelayu) Kenojuak did not often portray myths or legends in her work. However early in her career she created numerous images that have supernatural or shamanistic content.

Kenojuak was probably the first woman to take up drawing in Cape Dorset, in 1957 or 1958. No doubt spurred by the success of her first print Rabbit Eating Seaweed of 1959 (based on her sewn sealskin bag), Kenojuak utilized her design and sewing skills by making and arranging patterns to help her imagine and create new ideas and shapes. As Jean Blodgett noted in her important book Kenojuak (Mintmark/Firefly, 1985), this technique is clearly evident in Dog Sees the Spirits, one of this artist’s most enchanting and beautiful images. It could be argued that 1960 was the creative year for Kenojuak. Her imagery was as varied as it was spectacular; it included emblematic works such as The Enchanted Owl and The Woman Who Lives in the Sun (Lot 15), as well as lyrical masterpieces such as Complex of Birds, Bird Fantasy, and Birds from the Sea.

We can just imagine Kenojuak laying out and switching around her stencils until the outlines of the spirit figures reached dreamy perfection. The interplay of positive and negative shapes is almost magical as our eyes move effortlessly around the lazily meandering contours. The young printmaker Kananginak created marvelous pulsating stenciled effects that absolutely suit the image; the ethereal forms of the spirits contrast beautifully with the more crisply rendered figure of the barking dog.

References: this famous image by Kenojuak is illustrated in Ernst Roch ed., Arts of the Eskimo: Prints (Signum/Oxford, 1974) p. 35.

*Note: This print is officially titled Dog Sees the Spirits, but a few copies (including this one) were inscribed as shown. Interestingly, the “error” shades but does not fundamentally change the meaning of the work.

CONDITION DETAILS

For condition information please contact the specialist.

LOT 30
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About Condition Ratings

  • 5 Stars: Excellent - No discernable damage, flaws or imperfections
  • 4 Stars: Very Good - Minor flaws or imperfections visible only under close inspection using specialised instruments or black light
  • 3 Stars: Good - Minor flaws visible upon inspection under standard lighting
  • 2 Stars: Fair - Exhibits flaws or damage that may draw the eye under standard lighting
  • 1 Star: Poor - Flaws or damage immediately apparent under standard lighting (examples: missing components, rips, broken glass, damaged surfaces, etc.)

Note: Condition ratings and condition details are the subjective opinions of our specialists and should be used as a guide only. Waddington’s uses due care when preparing condition details, however, our staff are not professional restorers or conservators. Condition details and reports are not warranties and each lot is sold “as is” in accordance with the buyer’s terms and conditions of sale. In all cases the prospective purchaser is responsible for inspecting the property themselves prior to placing a bid.