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Transformations play a prominent role in the art of the Inuit and the people of the Northwest Coast. Inuit shamans were assisted by helping spirits to leave their human form and assume animal forms. Animals were transformed into different species. A beautiful young girl was betrayed by her greedy father, and transformed into Sedna, the source of all marine mammals and the spirit to whom Inuit shamans appealed to restore order in chaotic times. The art of the Northwest Coast also features creatures whose boundaries are unclear, who start as one thing and end up as another. An image of an eagle may contain human faces. Animals are seen in highly stylized and dissected form -- the center panel of a Chilkat blanket may show the front of a bear, while the side panels show the bear's sides and back as part of a continuous two-dimensional design. This exhibition includes works of art illustrating the use of transformational and shamanic images in the art of the Inuit and the Northwest Coast peoples. |
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