Bernadette Driscoll Engelstad, Independent Curator, Inuit Art “An eminent scientist and well-respected art collector, Dr. Joram Piatigorsky’s memoir is an inspiring reflection on the creative passion that infuses a life devoted to scientific experimentation and a profound appreciation of the arts. He contrasts ancestral family traditions with his own life journey, discovering unexpected similarities and [...]
On April 17 next week, Papa’s birthday, I will be at the Colburn School of Music in Los Angeles to see a preview of the new documentary of my father: The Cellist: The Legacy of Gregor Piatigorsky, by Murray Grigor and Hamid Shams. The movie will be an important addition to the Piatigorsky Archive at [...]
Despite all originating in the frozen Artic, I think it's fair to say that diversity is one of the defining elements of Inuit art. Yes, it is possible to see many sculptures on the same subject, such as caribou, family or shamanic beliefs. How these topics are depicted, however, are as individualistic as the artists. Take a look and decide if you agree with me.
Many Inuit sculptures depict animals and lifestyle in the Arctic, which are easy subjects to comprehend within our experience. We are familiar with polar bears, seals, birds and other species, as well as with common activities, such as hunting, giving birth, family life and the like. However, myths that are foreign to our experience also a major focus of Inuit art. The most widespread Inuit myth is that of the Sedna or mermaid (part woman, part fish), who was Goddess of the Sea.
Surviving the harsh Arctic conditions and the paucity of social safety nets put a wedge between self-absorption and requirements for survival. The slideshow presented in this post features Inuit sculptures from my collection that portray strikingly, as only art can do, how Inuit coped with death.
In my last blog I stressed the centrality of Inuit families for survival in the harsh Arctic. Freezing conditions, lack of social services and isolation made division of labor for essential tasks within the family a matter of life and death. Yet, as unlikely as it would seem under such conditions, art blossomed among the [...]
