The Bear

Contemporary Inuit prints were first produced at Cape Dorset in 1957. Although precursors to printmaking can be seen in women's skin applique work and in men's incising of ivory, stone and bone, the impetus for printmaking was as a commercial venture. This venture was established jointly by Inuit artists and John Houston, the civil administrator for Cape Dorset. Other Inuit communities quickly followed the commercial success of Cape Dorset's West Baffin Eskimo Cooperative. Printmaking developed as a communal activity following a Japanese, rather than a Western, model of serigraph production. Each year the cooperatives produce a series of limited edition prints which are sold in the retail art market. In 1965, the Canadian Eskimo Arts Council was established from the Canadian Eskimo Art Committee to ensure high standards were maintained. Printmaking, along with stone carving, provide cash income for communities which have undergone rapid and significant change, during the late 20th century, from traditional hunting based societies to settled communities dependent on consumer goods. The prevalent images depicted in Inuit art are of traditional life, arctic animals and mythology. Recently, contemporary subjects have been depicted by a minority of artists.

contemporary art

Print depicting a male hunter with a spear in raised hand who is facing a yellow bear with a black U-shape pattern overall. The bear has its right paw raised and its left paw leaning on a barrel-shaped object. Three birds, one above the end of the spear, and the other two, each with a yellow head, are flying over the bear. Cape Dorset stylized orange igloo seal is printed above the name of the printmaker in Inuit syllabics in the lower left-hand corner. Below the image is written, "The Bear lithograph 33/40 Dorset 1979 Soroseelutu" as well as the name of the artist in Inuit syllabics. Canadian Eskimo Arts Council's blind embossed stamp is in the lower right-hand corner.