AMIDLAK, INUIT, Totemic Composition, c. 1952-3
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Description
AMIDLAK (1897-1961) INUKJUAK (PORT HARRISON)
Totemic Composition, c. 1952-3
stone and walrus tusk, 8.75 x 2.75 x 2.5 in (22.2 x 7 x 6.3 cm)
unsigned.
Provenance
An Ottawa Collection.
Amidlak was an important camp leader in the Inukjuak area, and one of the first artists singled out for special mention by James Houston in the early 1950s. Amidlak’s son Jacob Oweetaluktuk believed that his father Amidlak was the first man to make a carving for Houston [1]. Several members of Amidlak’s camp would become respected artists, including his son Levi Amidlak, Isa Oomayoualook, and Timothy Kutchaka. Amidlak died in a drowning accident in 1961.James Houston’s 1951 instructional publication Sanajasak: Eskimo Handicrafts, which included a fanciful drawing of a “totem pole” by Houston that mashed up Inuit and Northwest Coast imagery, spawned numerous examples by various Inukjuak area artists including the elder Amidlak, Levi Amidlak, and Isa Oomayoualook. Of the ones attributed to Amidlak himself, this is arguably the most beautiful and impressive example, probably dating a year or so later than the artist’s earlier efforts. Eschewing Northwest Coast “thunderbird” imagery (seen in so many early versions of the theme), Amidlak created a carefully crafted and finely proportioned sculpture. A vertical “architectural” element at the back, which we have never seen before, unifies the composition.1. Wight, Early Masters, 2006, p. 45.
References: For similar examples and a biography of the artist, see Darlene Coward Wight, Early Masters: Inuit Sculpture 1949-1955, (Winnipeg: Winnipeg Art Gallery, 2006), p. 44-47; see also Gerald McMaster, ed., Inuit Modern: The Samuel and Esther Sarick Collection, (Toronto: Art Gallery of Ontario, 2010), p. 65, and Darlene Coward Wight, The First Passionate Collector: Ian Lindsay Collection of Inuit Art, (Winnipeg: Winnipeg Art Gallery, 1990), cat. 23, p. 104 and cat. 27, p. 105 as “Samwillie Amidlak (attrib.); See also Virginia Watt et. al, Canadian Guild of Crafts Quebec: The Permanent Collection: Inuit Arts And Crafts c. 1900-1980, (Montreal: Canadian Guild of Crafts Quebec, 1980), cat. 70, p. 72, and First Arts, July 2020, Lot 64.
Totemic Composition, c. 1952-3
stone and walrus tusk, 8.75 x 2.75 x 2.5 in (22.2 x 7 x 6.3 cm)
unsigned.
Provenance
An Ottawa Collection.
Amidlak was an important camp leader in the Inukjuak area, and one of the first artists singled out for special mention by James Houston in the early 1950s. Amidlak’s son Jacob Oweetaluktuk believed that his father Amidlak was the first man to make a carving for Houston [1]. Several members of Amidlak’s camp would become respected artists, including his son Levi Amidlak, Isa Oomayoualook, and Timothy Kutchaka. Amidlak died in a drowning accident in 1961.James Houston’s 1951 instructional publication Sanajasak: Eskimo Handicrafts, which included a fanciful drawing of a “totem pole” by Houston that mashed up Inuit and Northwest Coast imagery, spawned numerous examples by various Inukjuak area artists including the elder Amidlak, Levi Amidlak, and Isa Oomayoualook. Of the ones attributed to Amidlak himself, this is arguably the most beautiful and impressive example, probably dating a year or so later than the artist’s earlier efforts. Eschewing Northwest Coast “thunderbird” imagery (seen in so many early versions of the theme), Amidlak created a carefully crafted and finely proportioned sculpture. A vertical “architectural” element at the back, which we have never seen before, unifies the composition.1. Wight, Early Masters, 2006, p. 45.
References: For similar examples and a biography of the artist, see Darlene Coward Wight, Early Masters: Inuit Sculpture 1949-1955, (Winnipeg: Winnipeg Art Gallery, 2006), p. 44-47; see also Gerald McMaster, ed., Inuit Modern: The Samuel and Esther Sarick Collection, (Toronto: Art Gallery of Ontario, 2010), p. 65, and Darlene Coward Wight, The First Passionate Collector: Ian Lindsay Collection of Inuit Art, (Winnipeg: Winnipeg Art Gallery, 1990), cat. 23, p. 104 and cat. 27, p. 105 as “Samwillie Amidlak (attrib.); See also Virginia Watt et. al, Canadian Guild of Crafts Quebec: The Permanent Collection: Inuit Arts And Crafts c. 1900-1980, (Montreal: Canadian Guild of Crafts Quebec, 1980), cat. 70, p. 72, and First Arts, July 2020, Lot 64.
Condition
The absence of condition does not imply that an item is free from defects, nor does a reference to particular defects imply the absence of any others. Our team can provide thorough and comprehensive condition reports and additional images. We welcome your enquiries at info@firstarts.ca or 647-286-5012.
NOTE
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NOTE
Many countries prohibit or restrict importation or exportation of property containing ivory, whale bone, sealskin, and/or products derived from other endangered or protected species, and require special licenses or permits in order to import or export such property. It is the responsibility of the buyer to ensure that the item is properly and lawfully exported / imported.
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AMIDLAK, INUIT, Totemic Composition, c. 1952-3
Estimate CA$7,000 - CA$10,000
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