Txaamsem, Best of Show, by David R. Boxley (Photo: Brian Wallace, Courtesy of Sealaska Heritage Institute)
Eight artists have taken top prizes at Sealaska Heritage Institute’s eighth biennial Juried Art Show and Competition, and five young artists also placed in SHI’s new Youth Juried Art Exhibit.
Tsimshian artist David R. Boxley won the top two awards: Best of Show and Best of Formline for his piece Txaamsem.
“I have worked for a very long time to understand formline,” Boxley told the crowd at the ceremony. “I believe it is the most beautiful thing in the world.”
Tlingit artist Alison Bremner won second place for Best of Formline for her print Cat Lady:
Cat Lady, by Alison Bremner, won second place for Best of Formline (Photo: Brian Wallace, Courtesy Sealaska Heritage Institute)
Hungry Sea Lion won its creator Jennifer Younger Best of Division and Best of Metal Category in wood and metal carvings and sculptures. (Photo: Brian Wallace, Courtesy Sealaska Heritage Institute)
Clarissa Rizal won Best of Division and Best of Chilkat Category for her weaving, Chilkat Child, in the Weaving Division (Chilkat, Ravenstail and basketry). (Photo: Brian Wallace, Courtesy of Sealaska Heritage Institute)
Weaver Clarissa Rizal displays her new Thunderbird robe, later given to the Shungukeidí (Thunderbird) Clan in memory of the late Helen Watkins, a clan member. (Photo: Nobu Koch, courtesy of Sealaska Heritage Institute)
The Juried Art Show and Exemplary Works exhibit will be on display in the Nathan Jackson Gallery at the Walter Soboleff Building in Juneau through September 30.
There’s much more at ICTMN (3 page article).
I love the graphic quality of the art. One of my precious things is a pacific northwest-style “surly badger” that a friend drew for me.
So, that would be formline? I know very little about formline art, but I love it, and I wish I could do it.
I think that’s what they call it.
I’m endlessly fascinated by the way that people can take a brush or a pencil and make pictures of stuff that’s not there before they started making the picture. And the underlying style in which they do it is so influenced by their culture and media culture -- it doesn’t matter if you’re talking egyptian poses from 2000bc, renaissance art, or anime -- artists who grow up using a medium in the way other artists do, wind up producing these similar works.
Jacki’s Surly Badger is here: http://ranum.com/stock_content/jacki_badger.jpg
I have a lovely signet ring that lets me stomp that into wax.
That’s a fabulous piece of work!