FISH SKINS AND HOG GUTS
If my life were a film, this year would be a
point at which the plot suddenly veers off in a new direction. I
have stepped into a scene not in the script. In early February I began taking a class in
sewing fish skins, taught
by Lalla Williams at the Alaska Native Heritage Center in Anchorage.
It was an innocent endeavor and helped to pass the winter.
While working with Lalla, Dick Reed gave me
several jars of fish skins and fish skin scraps soaking in isopropyl, as well as 37 frozen skins
that he and his wife, the late Fran Reed, had collected over several years.
I scraped and prepared the frozen skins and sewed a few
of the soaking skins together. I am excited
about experimenting with this new medium. In late June I
attended a workshop in making fish-skin baskets taught by Audrey
Armstrong. The first image below is the traditional Athabaskan fish
skin basket I made in that setting. The others were done under the
tutelage of Lalla Williams last February and March.
I am now attending a workshop
in gut creations taught by Lucie Charbonneau. I plan to experiment with
using the two materials together.
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This is the traditional Athabaskan fish skin basket I made at Audrey Armstrong's workshop. |
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Salmon skin, deer hide and imitation sinew. 8" X 6"X 19". Photograph by the artist. |
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Fish skin bag, 2010 King salmon skin and imitation sinew, 10 1/2" X 10" X 7 1/2". |
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Photograph by the artist. |
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Fish skin bag, 2010 King salmon skin and imitation sinew 8 1/2" X 6 1/2" X 6 1/2"
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Photograph by the artist |
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Right Winger, 2010 |
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Halibut skin and imitation sinew, 9" X 8" X 8".
Photograph by the artist |
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Breach, 2010 |
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King salmon skin and imitaton sinew, 10 1/2" X 5" X 5".
Photograph by the artist. |
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Basket 1, 2010, hog gut and reed, 7" X 8 1/2" X 8". |
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Photograph by the artist. |
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RENT ART
Need art for your business? The International Gallery can assist you in
contacting artists or in finding work suitable for rent or purchase to make
your business unique. We have an artist membership that features work in all
styles and media. Contact us for more information:
Physical Location: 427 D Street • Anchorage, Alaska 99501
Mailing Address: P.O. Box 100239 • Anchorage, Alaska 99510
Message Phone: 907/279-1116
igca@alaskalife.net
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Happy Anniversary, 2008 |
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Mixed media, 30" X 24" X 24".
Photograph by the artist
Collection of Jeremy Lansman |
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