Art Analysis

-

 Resemblance of Home

This beautiful art piece was illustrated by Ken Lisbourne in 1981, it's called "Eskimo Dance" and is located in Tikigaq a.k.a, Point Hope, Alaska. I'm from Wainwright, Alaska, which is located on the North Slope such as Point Hope, as some of you may know. This painting depicts the Tikigaq people enjoying their traditional "Qagruq" once-a-year whaling feast. In case you weren't aware, the North Slope region's coastal villages take part in subsistence whaling every spring. Two of those communities, however, start fall whaling because bowhead whales don't arrive until August. which coincides with the bowheads' migration eastward. 

The elements I chose to discuss regarding this piece are color, tone, and shapes. Ken used neutral, warm, and vibrant colors. The vibrant and neutral parts of the painting present a bit of a calming feeling. Of course, the people Ken painted aren't looking realistic, but more of a 2-dimensional drawing. The warmness used helps depict the gravel and dirt within this painting. The blue tone in the painting sets the scene for the beautiful ocean and sky. All of this helps with the definition of the landscape and land. Tone also helps define the pattern of the people and objects within the painting. 

The separate whaling crews within each of the communities hold a whaling celebration in June if they have successfully caught a whale during that spring. The Inupiat people of northern Alaska have a tradition known as Nalukataq or Qagruq, which is celebrated following the spring whale-hunting season to give those who reside an opportunity to express gratitude for a bountiful hunting season. The villages' whaling crews spend days preparing for these feasts. While the other whaling communities only dedicate one full day to the celebration, Point Hope's celebration always lasts for three days. Inupiat values and traditions are shared by Point Hope and the other North Slope towns, yet when it comes to their whaling feasts, they're different. 

This work of art reminds me of my hometown and the traditions of my culture. People are Eskimo
dancing, as seen in the painting. The males are singing and beating the drums, and the women in the back are also singing. Some individuals are watching and enjoying the dancing, singing, and drumming. Underneath the dancing people is a mapquq, a blanket made from sewn-together bearded seal skins. The white long sticks are bowhead whale bones. The ocean and wildlife are also shown in the background. This work of art makes me feel so at ease and happy. Everything is so contrasting and beautifully shown. My realization that my ancestors built a strong culture that formed us Inupiat people into who we are today came from looking at this work of art. I feel resilient, strong, and brave looking at this work of art. My ancestors had to adapt to the Westernization of life, but yet, my culture still practices what our tradition consists of. 



Ken Lisbourne, Eskimo Dancing, 1981. University of Alaska Fairbanks, University of Alaska Museum of the North.

Comments

  1. Regan GraySeptember 18, 2023 at 12:02 PM

    Hi Haley,

    thanks for sharing this piece with us, I liked how you tell us the history and background of whats being depicted in the artwork. The context really helps bring the artwork to life, and helped me picture what this celebration would be like. I like how you chose a piece that reflects who you are and in turn, lets us get to know you a bit more. Great post!

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Art of Japan

-
Image
  What symbolizes art in Japan? The criteria and expectations were formed during Japan's opening to the West in the late 19th and early 20th centuries have often restricted the study of Japanese art. Japanese art includes calligraphy, painting, sculpture, architecture, ceramics, jade carving, bronzes, and other ornamental or fine visual arts created throughout the country's history from about 10,000 BCE to the present.   The most enduring source of influence was Buddhism, which spread throughout Asia after emerging in India. Understanding the natural environment as a source of spiritual knowledge and a teaching mirror of human feeling is what Japanese art is all about. Long before Buddhism, an indigenous religious sensibility believed that there was a spiritual realm evident in nature. Japanese art demonstrates a great deal of contact with or response to outside influences.  Japan's distinct culture and history are reflected in the abundance of symbols and meanings found in
Read more

Italian Renaissance Era

-
Image
 School of Athens Raphael, School of Athens , 1508–11; in the Stanza della Segnatura in the Vatican. A room in Pope Julius II's private places at the Vatican contains a painting by artist Raphael named School of Athens. The School of Athens was one of the most important works of art created during the Renaissance and the most well-known of all of Raphael's paintings. Donato Bramante suggested to Julius II and summoned Raphael to Rome at the end of 1508.  Raffaello Santi, who would later become known as Raphael, was born in Urbino in central Italy during the early Renaissance. His father, Duke Federigo da Montefeltro's court painter Giovanni Santi, taught his son his first lessons in painting. His art is praised for its simplicity and ability to visually realize the Neoplatonic ideal of human magnificence. The well-known room, the Stanza della Segnatura, contains murals with the historical explanation of the Roman Catholic Church's dominance through Neoplatonic philosoph
Read more

Street Art in Today's World

-
Image
  Street Art and its Significance Artwork that is exhibited publicly on nearby buildings, roadways, trains, and other surfaces that are visible to everyone is known as street art. Street art is fundamentally a means of self-expression. Regardless of the artist's residence, it frequently responds directly to the challenges of the local community in which they work, and it has a significant social and political influence. While some street artists may produce installations or sculptures, their use of unusual artistic techniques including wheat paste posters, spray paint, stencils, and stickers has made them more well-known.    Street Art and Post-Modernism Street art is the most comprehensive representation of the hybrid diversity of post-modernism of all the art movements that have emerged in this century. This movement aims to eliminate all barriers and divisions between high and low culture, mocking labels and the approval of the art establishment. Street art attempts to simultane
Read more