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Dear friends,
Please visit us in person or online to see our new acquisitions. Of course, we can only highlight a fraction of our selections in newsletters and on the website. If you are looking for a particular artist, subject or community, please contact us and we will be happy to assist you.
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Pauta Saila was one of the undoubted masters among the first-generation Inuit artists from Cape Dorset. His work has appeared in numerous exhibitions and publications, including the seminal Sculpture/Inuit, published by the Canadian Eskimo Crafts Council in 1971.
Born in 1916, he grew up on the land, and only moved into the Cape Dorset settlement after he married his second wife, Pitaloosie. Pauta's life-long experience as a hunter gave him an intimate knowledge of polar bears and other local fauna. As an artist, however, he eschewed ultra-realism, and developed an instantly recognizable semi-abstract style. His dancing bears are prized by collectors, but he also created delightful stylized birds and other animals.
We are pleased to have a selection of works by Pauta in the gallery, including two animated but smaller (and more affordable) bears, a handsome sitting bird, and etchings from the 1960s showing scenes from the hunt. The bear pictured above is 9 inches high; we also have a bear that stands 5 1/4 inches. The bird is about 8 inches high.
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Choice Ivory and Bone Carvings
The collection of ivory and bone carvings described in our last newsletter can now be viewed online. This group of carvings was assembled by a discerning collector. Every piece is beautifully executed. The collection includes this tour de force by Luke Airut, a composition that includes two drum dancers, a hunter, a whale, a polar bear, two belugas and a hunter, all carved from a polar bear jawbone.
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W stands for whalebone. Also for Wow! Alaska on Madison is thrilled to present three masterpieces in whalebone, as well as a number of smaller whalebone pieces. Pictured at the right is Shaman Hunter by Augustin Anaittuq (1935-1992) of Pelly Bay. This is an assemblage of found materials, much like Nick Sikkuark's Shaman with String Game. The shaman's face, bow, hands and feet are carved from antler; his ankles are covered in sealskin; and his belt is skin. The density of the whalebone that makes up his parka and pants varies, giving a wonderfully varied texture to the piece as a whole. The overall impression is wonderfully whimsical.
The whalebone used in this and other Inuit sculptures is archeological whalebone -- hundreds of years old. Taloyoak, which was home to leading whalebone sculptors such as Karoo Ashevak, imported whalebone from a nearby site until local stone that could be carved was discovered. Carving whalebone required great skill and different tools and techniques than carving stone. Adzes and chisels could be used at a very shallow angle to shave away the surface. Files were of little use, since their teeth were clogged by the whalebone particles that were removed. Whalebone carvings are yet another example of the resourcefulness and adaptability of Inuit artists.
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About Us
Alaska on Madison is a gallery of indigenous art of Alaska and Canada run by collectors for collectors. We feature Inuit art of the twentieth and twenty-first century Canadian Arctic, two-thousand-year-old objects from the Old Bering Sea cultures, and nineteenth century art from the Northwest Coast peoples and Yup'ik Eskimos. Our collection ranges from museum-quality works to more modest but still excellent works for private collectors, whether novice or sophisticated. We also have a selection of books that will enhance your appreciation of your collection.
Baffled by syllabic signatures? Learn how to interpret them by using our guide, Deciphering Inuktitut Signatures, and our Inuit Artist Search Tool.
Regular gallery hours are Tuesday - Saturday 1:30 - 6:00 pm, but it's always a good idea to call or email in advance in case we have an appointment out of the gallery.
Visit our website
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