Man and Sea Otters

This design in an interpretation of a spindle whorl carved in the ninteenth century at Cowichan. In an interview with Art Curator Karen Duffek (1985), the artist identifies the figures on the original as sea otters. Man and Sea Otters was Susan Point's second print, but it is her first very traditional piece. She notes that she choose the design because it was used by "the boys at home" on their soccer jackets. She also attributes Stan Greene as a source of inspiration, noting that she saw some of his Coast Salish spindle whorl silkscreen prints at a show. She notes that he also did an adaption from the same spindle whorl, but his is different because they have different styles. Susan choose to use brown for this print because it is a Salish colour, and because there is no colour in the spindle whorls just natural wood. After she had been working with this medium for awhile she decided that she didn't want all of her prints to be the same colour, and so began incorporating her own colours.

contemporary art; traditional motifs; guardian spirit complex

Diamond Jenness' informant Old Pierre of Katzie reported that those who have the sea otter as their guardian spirit are good seal hunters.

Silkscreened print of a spindle whorl design in brown ink on a cream-coloured paper. The circular design depicts a male figure seated with his arms raised up and his mouth open. The figure is encircled by two sea otters. The otters are facing each other and their tongues are connected. The front paws of the otters rest on the forehead of the man, while their back paws touch his shoulders. In pencil beneath this image is written: 62/100 Coast Salish Spindle Whorl "Man and Sea Otters" 04/81 Susan A. Sparrow.