Na-Op-Cong

The contemporary 'woodland art tradition', of which John Laford is a part, traces its roots to the ancient rock art of the Canadian Sheild and to the shamanistic tradition of bark scroll work. Cree and Ojibwa mythology and shamanistic imagery is frequently depicted in these works. This painting depicts the establishing of a sweat lodge by a shaman. The location must be in harmony with major axes and power spots of the Ojibwa world. The shaman is guided to an appropriate spot in the Shield by animal spirits. Made in the Anishnaabe style.

contemporary art; spirit painting; legend painting

"Shaman Establishing a Sweat Lodge" painting. Depicts interconnected figures, all outlined and segmented with black lines and composed of areas of solid colour. Two figures in profile face each other, each with a tall headdress, with a brown object between them that has curved sides that come to a rounded point at the top, a cross shape at the centre above a bird figure, and undulating lines along the sides. Superimposed over the left-hand figure is an orange-red fish, and the other figure has a bird figure emerging from the back of its neck, a fish figure superimposed over its body, and a head with a hooked mouth emerging from its base. Below the two figures are two dark yellow fish-like figures. Some pencil sketch marks show.