W11 Indigenous Canadian Art Transformations
Page 1: Introduction to Indigenous Canadian Art
Course: FAH101: Monuments of Art History
Instructor: Prof. Adam S. Cohen
Topic: Indigenous Canadian Art: Transformations
Page 2: Beau Dick's Killer Whale Mask
Artist: Beau Dick
Artwork: Killer Whale Mask
Exhibition: documenta 14 (2017)
Page 3: Biography of Beau Dick
Full Name: Walis Gwy Um / Beau Dick
Lifespan: 1955-2017
Page 4: Indigenous Nations of the Northwest Coast
Regions Covered:
Queen Charlotte Islands to Alaska
Notable Nations:
Tlingit
Tsimshian
Kwakiutl (Kwakwaka'wakw)
Haida
Haisla
Map Description: Indicates various First Nations speaking Kwakwala
Page 5: Basic Elements of Art History
Key Components:
** SIAPFAR** (Style, Iconography, Artist, Patronage, Function, Audience, Reception)
Artwork Reference: Beau Dick's Killer Whale Mask from documenta 14
Page 6: Additional Artworks
Beau Dick's Killer Whale Mask
Willie Seaweed: Wolf Headdress, circa 1930
Collection: The Menil Collection, Houston
Accession Number: 1973-24 DJ
Page 7: Historical Artifacts
Beau Dick's Killer Whale Mask
Haida Bentwood Box: Pre-1905
Location: Canadian Museum of History, Gatineau
Accession Number: CMC VII-C-109 (S94-6802)
Page 8: Big House of Mungo Martin
Artwork: Naka'penkem / Mungo Martin Big House, Victoria, BC, 1953
Photographer: © Bruce Batten
Page 9: Naka'penkem Totem Pole
Totem Pole: By Mungo Martin, 1958
Location: Windsor Great Park, United Kingdom
Page 10: The Legend of Natsilane and the Killer Whale
Story Element: Villagers wonder if Natsilane carved the great black fish
Outcome: Killer Whale becomes a gift to the villagers, leading to legends about Natsilane
Page 11: Date Reference
Date Mentioned: 25, 1922
Page 12: Udzistalis (Thunderbird Dancer)
Dancer: Jonathon Henderson, Alert Bay, 2005
Context: Potlatch dancer in regalia
Page 13: Gwa’yam / Whale Mask
Owner: Alex Currie until March 25, 1922
Current Location: Museum of the American Indian, New York City
Page 14: Potlatch Dancing Masks
Location: Alert Bay, BC, Anglican Church parish hall, 1922
Dancer: Potlatch dancer in regalia
Page 15: Surrealist Context
Studio: André Breton's studio in Paris after 1927
Reference: The Surrealist Manifesto, 1924
Page 16: Influential Artwork
Artist: Pablo Picasso
Work: Les Demoiselles d’Avignon, 1907
Location: Museum of Modern Art, New York
Page 17: Exhibition of African Treasures
Exhibition: Ritual Messengers - African Treasures from the Tervuren Museum
Duration: October 17, 1996 to May 19, 1997
Page 18: Ethnographic Collections
Museum: Royal Museum for Central Africa
Focus: Extensive collections with historical value, mainly around late 19th century
Page 20: Beau Dick's Works
Artist Identification: Walis Gwy Um / Beau Dick (1955-2017)
Page 21: Dzunuk'wa Transformation Mask
Creation Year: 2007
Page 22: Historical Transformation Mask
Description: Transformation mask from late 19th Century
Location: Land Art Museum
Page 23: Cultural Heritage
Historical Figures: Yakuglas/ Charlie James with Chief Charlie Hunt, ownership of Dzunuk’wa feast dish, ca. 1900
Page 24: Artifact Reference
Artifact: Dzunuk’wa feast dish, ca. 1900
Location: Portland Art Museum
Page 25 - 30: Reiteration of Beau Dick's Works
Designed for documenta 14 exhibition
Focuses on cultural significance and artistry of various masks
Additional installations and performances highlighted
Page 31: Significant Canadian Artists
Artists Mentioned: Kesu' / Doug Cranmer (1927-2006) and Tony Hunt (1942-2017)
Page 32: Totem Pole Restoration
Artist: Naka'penkem / Mungo Martin
Significance: Restoring a totem pole, 1949
Page 33: Yakuglas Tradition
Yakuglas/ Charlie James with Chief Charlie Hunt reference repeated
Page 34: Native Artifacts
Willie Seaweed: Wolf Headdress, ca. 1930
Importantly referenced multiple times for significance
Page 35: Reiteration of Seaweed's Work
Continued mention of Willie Seaweed's Wolf Headdress, emphasizing historical context
Page 36: Shaman's Rattle
Artifact Note: Shaman's Rattle described
Page 37: Spiny Cockle
Species Mentioned: Acanthocardia acu aculeata
Page 38: Bill Reid's Contributions
Artist: Iljuwas / Bill Reid (1920–1998)
Notable Work: Spirit of the Haida Gwaii, 1986 at Canadian Museum of History
Page 39: Displays of Haida Gwaii Works
Canoe Displays: Variations displayed at different locations like Canadian Embassy and Vancouver International Airport
Page 41: Gwa’yam / Whale Mask Legacy
Discusses the mask ownership transition and repatriation efforts
Page 42: Cultural Practices
Focus: Kwakwaka'wakw Potlatch significance
Quote: "It is like a storage box, like a box of treasures the old people used to have..."
Page 43: Legend of Natsilane
Continued mention of the legend associated with the Killer Whale and its significance to the villagers.