Archive for April 25, 2013

Artist of the moment…..Joe and Mialia Jaw…and the Jaw family of Inuit artists…..

{ April 25, 2013 @ 7:31 pm } · { Uncategorized }
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Joe Jaw was a great Inuit sculptor thought by many to be the best ever at his craft. Joe Jaw was born in 1930.  Joe Jaw passed away in 1987. The artist had four children, all sons that went on to become world renown artists.

Joe Jaw was married to another artist  named Mialia Jaw. Born in 1934, Mialia was an artist best known for her prints and printmaking skills. Mialia passed away in 2006. Below some examples of Mialia Jaw’s style. Mialia enjoyed using colour in her works giving them a lively and vibrant feel.

Joe and Mialia Jaw had four sons that went to become artists. One such son is Pootoogook Jaw that was born in 1959. Below some examples of his Pootoogook Jaw’s art. The artist has been carving nearly his entire life and varies his mediums accordingly. The harder the stone, the simpler the character. Some main themes are birds and hunters.

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Mathew is another son born in 1950  who is not only a great artist, but also the mayor of Cape Dorset.  His last name is not Jaw, his full name is Mathew Saviadjuk. The artist has been a leader and a great example for all Inuit artists to learn from. Mathew led the art- cooperative the West Baffin co-op. His main themes are wildlife and the spirit/ shaman like human spirit. Interestingly nowadays not many musk ox live in Cape Dorset, though its a theme used through by many carvers. Mathew didn’t see one in person until 2001! So it is possible to create great art by only seeing subjects on television.

King Jaw, also known as Kingwatsiak Jaw, was the youngest of the artist brothers being born in 1962. As a youngster he was interested in all art forms and tried carving at the age of 8 years old. King Jaw didn’t approach carving with the idea of being a professional artist until he was in his thirties. King Jaw is a certified carpenter and a very skilled mechanic. Like the rest of his family he is from the Cape Dorset, Nunavet Territory in Canada. His main influence on his art other than his father was the aforementioned Pootoogook.

The last son Salamonie was a heavy drinker and ended shooting and killing a police officer in 2004.

What an interesting family of world class museum level artists!

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Artist of the moment……Felipe Castaneda

{ April 25, 2013 @ 2:56 pm } · { Uncategorized }
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Felipe Castaneda is one of the most sought after artists in Mexico. Felipe Castaneda was born in the city of  La Paloma, Michoacan    in the year 1933. The area where the artist grew up has not only a deep Mexican history, but also includes a history of Columbia. The artist has  a fantastic mix of european ideals and an abstract feel that makes his women seem very real  and engrossed  in deep thought.  In 1958  Castaneda  determined that he needed to live in Mexico City to get the experience and education he would need to succeed as an artist.

For his collegiate studies he attended La Esmeralda Painting and Sculpture Academy in 1958.

The artist finished school in 1963 and seven years would pass until he would have his first solo exhibition in 1970.

Castaneda works in many mediums including bronze, onxy, and marble.

If you like this artist make sure to check out the artist Francisco Zuniga. Zuniga was born in Mexico in 1912 and went on to become world renown for his sculptures of women. Below is a great example of his style.

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One note I found very inspiring about the artist was in his artist’s statement. Castaneda considers it a miracle that actual human beings are created out of rock. I hope that you not only respect these artists that use traditional materials like bronze and wood, but I also hope to introduce you to other artists using mediums such as whalebone, antlers from the Inuit peoples of Canada, and even chewing gum (Maurizio Savini). The main thing to grasp from his statement is that ARTISTS CREATE MIRACLES!

Price range information: The artist has used many mediums including marble which range $5,000 to $60,000. The artist also has worked with alabaster but not enough sales to produce a pricing schedule. Bronzes range $4,000 to $60,000.

 

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