House of Eagles

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 image of a house front. Gabled roof and outside supports in red-orange bands. House front design is bilaterally symmetrical. In the house, the profile ovoid heads meet at the centre with a large black ovoid in ovoid to the sides followed by a red split u in a black u form. Wing elements below. To the outside, at either side, there is a red split u in a black u form followed by two elongated u forms with split u's. To the inside, at either side, there is a black circle in circle with a red split u to the top and below in two wing segments. Towards the centre, there are black three-clawed limbs, orange s-shapes, and diamond shape leaf-like elements. At the centre, below the head, there are wedge shapes with four notches. At the bottom centre, there is a red ovoid with u forms with split u's on the top right, and the bottom left has vertically striped diamonds at the top left and the bottom right. Thin black line parallels the roof just above it with vertical, s-curved lines running vertically up from it and having three evenly spaced on each gable, with the central three lines intertwined. Pencil inscription across the bottom edge '22/80 9/11/76 HOUSE OF EAGLES Roy Henry Vickers TSIMSHIAN TRIBE KITKATLA B.C.'. The print is on a horizontally rectangular, brown paper stock.