HomeMy WebLinkAboutWingham Advance-Times, 1980-01-16, Page 6a•
,M6 --The Waft han1 Advanegkrrimes, January 16, 1980
madill
irror
Piibl,1c Invited to view
,art exhibits in library
Pie public is invited to view
ANYQ • elchibits in our library :
"Woodcuts and Linocuts" and
"Eskimo Birds". Both of these
printmaking exhibits are on loan
from the London Regional Art
Gallery.
For each exhibit, the print-
making techniques, history and
cultural influence are expalined.
In the case of "Woodcuts and
Luiocnts", ,the actual cutting
tools are displayed which is quite
interesting.
The library at F. E. Madill is
open each weekday from 8:30
a.m.-4:30 p.m. The exhibits will
be here until 'l hursday, January
24. A special evening showing
will be held Tuesday, January 22
from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. at which
Art 101 students will illustrate
how they prepare and print their
linoblocks.
The exhibition has no ad-
mission charge and everyone is
welcome!
"ESKIMO BIRDS"
Eskimo art has a two -fold pur-
pose in Canadian history; firstly,
it serves as a visual record of the
history and traditions of the
Inuit; secondly, as an art form it
is unique and unlike other forms
of Canadian art. The Eskimo way
of viewing and creating things
and their unique ideas and ap-
proach to life and death has
existed in their art for thousands
of years.
Many Eskimo works tell a
story of animal life; the seals, the
caribou; the walrus, the polar
bear and the many species of
Arctic birds all are vital aspects
of the Eskimo's life. In earlier
times, Alen the experience of the
hunt was the only means of sub-
sistence for the Eskimo, there
was seldom a day when the
Eskimo did not confront the ani-
mals. Therefore the success of
the. Eskimos' existence depended
on their interrelationship with
the animals and the birds.
Yet there is one other figure on ,
whom the Eskimo depended —
the shaman and his. spirits.
Therefore the relationship be
tween the human being and the
animals, birds and spirits is
mainly illustrated in their art.
The hunter Stalking the polar
tipgr the twl protecting,itarllest,;,
thestruggling bird in the hands, of-
as young child and isolated
images that .seem half -animal
and half -human are examples of
their lifestyle and culture.
Like all cultures, the art of the
Eskimo has evolved through
Printmaking
Printmaking is: a major unit of
study at each level in Art. His-
torically, printmaking developed
out of the need for book illus-
trations in seventh -century
China.
In Art 101 the linocut is ex-
plored. Linoleum is not an old
invention. The art of linocutting
Only dates from the beginning off
Teacher
Interview
MRS. DOUGLAS
The Madill Choir: These words
bring to mind a talentedgroup of
people, , headed by an equally
talented Mrs. Douglas. ,
For four years now, Mrs.
Douglas has been directing the
choir. She enjoys this role and
freely devotes her time to the
choir. She especially enjoys the
association with the students,
who she considers to be quality
people.
The only change she would like
to make is to have a music course
offered, so she does not have to
steal class time.
Due to the hard work of Mrs.
Douglas and the students, the
success of the Madill choir is
guaranteed for the future.
various stages. Their sculptural
art conies natural to them and
probauly first ,began with early
ivory wad bone implements
carved by hand for hunting and
preparing food and clothing. To-
day, Eskimo sculptors and car-
vers have established a sculpture
tradition that is uniquely stylized
and refined. Another form of art
for the Eskimo is the traditional
women's art of skin applique.
Using caribou and seal skin, the
women would patiently cut dis-
tinctive contrasting inlaid skin
designs and sew them with sinew
onto outer clothing, footwear and
mittens. -
Today printmaking has be-
come a popular and profitable
business for the Eskimo. Print-
making was not an original art
form for the Eskimo; it did not
- appear until much later in the
1950's when James A. Houston
(Canadian artist, author and
Arctic traveller) introduced the
technique .of the stencil -cut.
But the -greatest influence upon
the Eskimo was when Houston
taught the traditional Japanese
.printmaking techniques to them
after studying in Japan under
Uni'chi Hiratsuka, the Japanese
master. The Eskimo sculptors
found it easy to manipulate the
heavy stone blocks and enjoyed
drawing and cutting the stones.
Using the traditional method of
the Japanese system, the print-
makers worked together in the
workshop as a team. They still
use this system today. The
Eskimo prints have maintained
the culture and style of' their
sculptural art and skin applique;
the only innovation for them was
the use of paper, ink and the
Japanese printing process.
The works included in the ex-
hibit "Eskimo Birds" in the F. E.
Madill library currently rep-
resent various styles of print-
making practised by the Eskimo.
The, works mainly consist of
various types of birds. Birds are
and always were an important
symbolfor the Eskimo. All types
are depicted: a flock of geese,
owls, pitseolaks, ravens and
sometimes imaginary birds;
however, although many draw-
ings and carvings are done of a
particulatape iieSAeg:, the ;Argue,
owl), each one is- different -and.
unique to the next. The artist's
sensitivity in creating these birds
reveals his desire to illustrate his
way of life and express hit
pleasure with wildlife around
him.
in Art101
this century. It has -developed out
of the woodcut as a much easier
medium to use in printmaking.
In makinga linocut a soft,
pliable linoleum is used. It is
usually brown with a hessian -
type backing. lifter the drawing
or design has been transferred to
the linoleum, the linoleum block
is then cut around the drawing
using various cutting tools as a V-
shaped gouge or fish -tailed
straight chisel. To keep the block
from sliding, a bench hook is
used.
Some excellent work has been
done with linoleum by major
artists. Matisse and Picasso have
both used it to great advantage.
Here at FEMSS budding Grade 9
'artists have successfully ex-
plored this medium, as seen in
the student artwork on this page.
The number in the lower left
corner designates the sequence
in time that a print is pulled and
not prime value for low numbers
and less value for higher num-
bers. For example, 1-10 indicates
that the print was the first print
of an edition of 10 to he pulled.
Artificial Resuscitation is
taught free of charge by St. John
Ambulance in its Save A Life pro,
gram. This First Aid skill is used
on casualties in cases of electric
shock, poisdnings, drownings,
heart attacks and chokings.
BY KIM BRENDEL
:..�J►M��! W NW
TM
s„r
r.
Memorial business has ton ' history
41thoOther materials have been tried,
virtually all the memorial stones are now
granite, Mr. Melia said. "They have yet to
coarse tap with anything that Will outlast
granite "T O don't use marble in this part of
the CQUfl `lj ause it won't stand up to thy*
weather, be ,explained. �-
The .grantte.. can come from all over the,
world, buL hoot of it comes from Quebec singe
foreign granite has gotten too expensive.
nomughthe cost of the stone itself is "next to
ng"?;trapsportation charges, labor and
taxes have gashed prices to where Mr. Flalick
said they are "killing the business". ,
He said ill's virtually impossible for young
people to get a start in the business and there
are getting to be fewer and fewer memorial
dealers, especially in the smaller places.
• The memorial business has been around for
thousands of years, he noted. "People have
always been putting up grave markers."
In Wingham the business has been going for
at least 100 years, he added, noting Mr.
Spotton operated the business for about 59
years and there were a number of dealers
before him.
Recently Mr. Malick moved the business
from its old headquarters—one of the last
remaining buildings of the original town—to a
new building- he erected on the lot beside it.
He can serve the public much better now; he
explained; the old shop was cold and dirty.
The memorial business is different from
just about any other, John Malick believes. It
requires not only the technical skills
necessary to engrave the granite, bui also the
gentle, personal touch to help people going
through a traumatic time following the death
of a loved one.
Mr. Malick awns and operates Wingham
Memorials, which he purchased in 1963 from
R. A. Spotton. He is assisted in the business by
his son-in-law, Mac Anderson, who joined him
five years ago.
Mr. Malick , explained he is not a
manufacturer of the memorial stones — "If I
had the money to be a manufacturer I
wouldn't have to be in business." He buys the
stones already eut and polished and with
designs carved into them.
His end of the business is to engrave the
names and dates onto stones for customers
and to look after erecting them. The
engraving is done by sandblasting and
chiselling with air hammers, and he said it
takes anywhere from five to 50 years to learn
the skill, with new equipment corning out all
the time.
Machinery such as automatic stencil
cutters, automatic sandblast equipment and
air hammers' has taken much of the manual
labor out of the job, he noted. Once all the
carving was done by hand with hammer and
chisel.
Wingham .. .
In its 101st year
WINGHAM MEMQRIALSrJohn Malick operates his business out of one of the newest -
buildings along Wingha'`"s main street. A previous building on the adjoining .lot had
housed the memorial business for many years, but wat torn down to make way for pro-
gress.
e
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