First Arts: Inuit & First Nations Art

May 28, 2019

LOT 16

Lot 16

JESSIE OONARK, O.C., R.C.A. (1906-1985)

JESSIE OONARK, O.C., R.C.A. (1906-1985)
Lot 16 Details
JESSIE OONARK, O.C., R.C.A. (1906-1985), E2-384, Baker Lake / Qamani’tuaq

UNTITLED (FISH RIDERS AND FISH-WOMAN)

coloured pencil drawing
signed in syllabics, c. 1978
22 x 30 in — 55.9 x 76.2 cm

Estimate $6,000-$9,000

Realised: $7,800
Price Includes Buyer's Premium ?

Lot Report

Provenance:

a Toronto private collection.

Note:

Jessie Oonark was an artistic genius but she probably had a less than perfect knowledge of Inuit legends; her daughter, the famous artist Victoria Mamnguqsualuk, likely had a better grasp. Possibly Oonark remembered snatches of stories and then worked them into a kind of imagined iconography of shamans, fish-people, bird-people, animal-riders etc. In other words she used stories truly as springboards for her visual imagination rather than trying to illustrate them.

A case in point: an Oonark print from 1981 (#6) titled The Fishmaker Made Kiviuk a Fish to Ride is quite similar to the top register of this drawing. In her telling of the Qiviuq episode in the catalogue Oonark deviates considerably from typical accounts, including her daughter’s exhaustive and rich ones. In both the print and this drawing Oonark’s imagery deviates even further. In the end, it is the imagery that is important and truly exciting.

And exciting it is. Untitled (Fish Riders and Fish-Woman) is fascinating, slightly mystifying, slyly humorous, and stunning. The four humans joyfully ride the fish as if it were a fast sled, and the fish is equally joyful as if it were a fast sled dog; the front rider hooks the fish just as he is himself hooked by the next rider back. The fish-woman below is simply dazzling, one of Oonark’s most beautiful imaginary beings. Oonark designed various fish-women over the years but this one leaves us speechless.

Brava Oonark.

References: for a drawing with related subject matter see Marion Jackson and Judith Nasby, Contemporary Inuit Drawings (Macdonald Stewart Art Centre, 1987) cat. 60. See also Walker’s Nov. 2012, Lot 45. For a related print see Baker Lake catalogue 1981 #6. For another important Oonark drawing depicting humans riding on animals see Composition (Fantasy Sleds and Bird) from the Albrecht Collection, in Ingo Hessel, Arctic Spirit, Heard Museum, 2006, cat. 49 (also illustrated in Walker’s May 2016, Lot 87).


CONDITION DETAILS

For condition information please contact the specialist.

LOT 16
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About Condition Ratings

  • 5 Stars: Excellent - No discernable damage, flaws or imperfections
  • 4 Stars: Very Good - Minor flaws or imperfections visible only under close inspection using specialised instruments or black light
  • 3 Stars: Good - Minor flaws visible upon inspection under standard lighting
  • 2 Stars: Fair - Exhibits flaws or damage that may draw the eye under standard lighting
  • 1 Star: Poor - Flaws or damage immediately apparent under standard lighting (examples: missing components, rips, broken glass, damaged surfaces, etc.)

Note: Condition ratings and condition details are the subjective opinions of our specialists and should be used as a guide only. Waddington’s uses due care when preparing condition details, however, our staff are not professional restorers or conservators. Condition details and reports are not warranties and each lot is sold “as is” in accordance with the buyer’s terms and conditions of sale. In all cases the prospective purchaser is responsible for inspecting the property themselves prior to placing a bid.