Raven and Whale

Northwest Coast serigraphs are a contemporary art form, deriving from early 20th century drawings of traditional crest and decorative designs, commissioned by anthropologists and undertaken by artists such as Charles Edenshaw. Residential schools reinforced the medium, while discouraging the use of traditional themes. An important series of traditional designs in coloured pencil and watercolour were done by Mungo Martin for UBC in 1949-50. The 1960's saw the rapid growth of prints, first in unlimited poster editions, and later with the establishment of the Gitanmaax School of Northwest Coast Indian Art at 'Ksan (1967), and of the Northwest Coast Indian Artists Guild (1977), limited edition art runs became the standard. Northwest Coast silkscreen prints are part of the mainstream art market, as well as, functioning within the native context as potlatch gifts, and commemorative prints. Although, there are distinctive regional styles, individual artists may work in several styles, or apply unique themes and variations to specific works.

contemporary art

Stylized frontal bird with profile head facing to the right side above a profile curved whale facing to the left side. Both in black, curving form line, ovoids, etc., with secondary elements in brown. Bird's eye is ovoid with ovoid centre surrounded by a tapering oval. Beak follows a curve from the top of the ovoid to a blunt end. Beak is slightly open with a brown tongue. There are two brown u forms behind the mouth. A brown u forms and split u are beside the eye along the beak. Wings on either side have vertically aligned ovoids in ovoid followed by two brown u forms on the right and one on the left, then three elongated split u forms along the body. Tail has two red u forms above three longer ones. To the right of the body, there are two rows of brown u forms. Lower limbs on either side of the body and tail ending in circle variations. Two vertically aligned brown u forms between the body and the left wing. Two horizontally aligned u forms between the body and the right wing. Wedge of brown u lines above. Whale has a black circle in circle eye and a snout that is u-shaped with a brown u form and two brown split u's at the centre. Slightly open mouth with a top row of even teeth and a segmented brown tongue. Pectoral fin at the bottom next to the head is a black ovoid within ovoids followed by a brown u form u at the centre. Dorsal fin is the tail of the bird. Body of whale has black outlined brown rib-like bands on either side of a split, curving brown centre line. Tail at the right bottom has a black circle at the centre and flukes to each side. Two brown u forms of varying sizes on either side. Pencil inscription across the bottom reads '88/150 23/4/79 RAVEN and WHALE Roy Henry Vickers'. Embossed circular stamp at the lower right reads 'Canadian Native Prints Limited' with a salmon image at the centre. The print is on a vertically rectangular, white paper stock with four deckle edges.