Robert Davidson Art - Research Paper Example

Robert Davidson Robert Davidson is one of Canada’s most respected, well-known and important contemporary artists. A Northwest Coast native of Haida descent, he is a master carver of totem poles and masks and works in a variety of other media as a printmaker, painter and jeweler. He is also a leading figure in the renaissance of Haida art and culture. Robert Davidson is best known as an impeccable craftsman whose creative and personal interpretation of traditional Haida form is unmatched and unparalleled. Biography of the Artist Robert Charles Davidson was born November 4, 1946 in Hydaburg Alaska. His Haida name is Guud San Glans/Eagle of The Dawn. He moved with his family to Massett on Haida Gwaii (Queen Charlotte Islands) in 1947 and lived there until 1965 and then he moved to Vancouver to complete his education at Point Grey Secondary School. Here he first learned the fundamentals of silk-screening. In 1966 he met Bill Reid and soon after, began an eighteen-month apprenticeship that launched his career as an artist. [Dasenbrock, 1993] Through Reid, he met anthropologist Wilson Duff, artist Bill Holm and learned much about the Haida people and their art. In 1967 he enrolled in the Vancouver, School of Art, a place he credits for developing his drawing and design skills. Historical Background Robert Davidson was surrounded by fine carving from an early age as both his father, Claude Davidson and grandfather, Robert Davidson Sr. were respected carvers in Massett. His great grandfather was the famed Haida carver Charles Edenshaw. Robert began carving at the age of 13 when his father insisted he carry on the family artistic tradition. Since that time, he has continued to explore the carved form in a variety of traditional and non-traditional media including bronze. He is now the consummate Haida artist whose strong rhythms and personal style is recognizable and sought the world over. Awards, Achievements and Honorary Degrees Davidson has also received many Honours for his accomplishments. In 1995 he received the National Aboriginal Achievement Award for his contribution to First Nations art and culture. He holds honourary degrees from the University of Victoria, Simon Fraser University in Burnaby, the Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas and the Emily Carr Institute of Art and Design in Vancouver. He has received the Order of British Columbia and in 1996 was awarded the prestigious Order of Canada. [Abu-Laban, 1988] For more than thirty years, Robert Davidson has worked as an artist and has produced an internationally acclaimed body of work. His work is found in a number of important private and public collections including the National Gallery of Canada in Ottawa, the Vancouver Art Gallery, the Canadian Museum of Civilization in Hull, Quebec, the Southwest Museum in Los Angeles and the Artists for Kids Gallery in North Vancouver. He has also received many honors for his accomplishments and also holds many honorary degrees from the universities all over the world. Haida Art and Tradition Around 1860, the Haida ancestors suffered at the hand of outsiders, when small pox was brought from Victoria to the Queen Charlotte Islands. Ninety percent of the population was wiped out. In 1884 the Canadian Government outlawed the potlatch and along with it went the culture. Items associated with potlatches such as bowls, ladles, masks, headdresses and all dance regalia were no longer needed. Artists died without passing on their knowledge of the traditional style of carving on to the next generation. In 1951, the banning of the potlatch was repealed after a long struggle. The elders tried to remember what they could to help the next generation rebuild their histories. After the 1960s appreciation for the Art and traditions from the past interested many Haida. Just when the people were regaining their identities, the missionaries moved in and convinced the people to give up their old beliefs and traditions. Totem poles were burned for firewood and the children were placed in boarding schools, without their families. They were not to speak their own language and disciplined if they disobeyed. Regardless of all of the upheaval, the Haidas have endured; they have persevered and learned to survive in the modern world. Crests To appreciate the Art, it is important to understand the structures of their social system. All Haida are born either "Ravens" or "Eagles". Symbols of Art The Ravens and Eagles own and have a right to display certain crests. A sample of the crests affiliated with the Ravens is: Raven, Killer whale, Grizzly bear, Black bear, Hawk, Moon, Sea Wolf, Shark and Wolf. Samples of crests affiliated with the Eagles are: Eagle, Beaver, Sea Wolf, Hawk, Killer whale, Raven, Frog and Dragonfly. Brief descriptions of the most commonly utilized crests Totem Poles Totem poles represented family lineages and privileges; they told the story of the people that lived in the houses. Chiefs competed with other chiefs with having taller and more detailed totem poles. Carvers were in great demand to create these rich works of Art. There are different types of totem poles like mortuary poles, memorial poles and others. Davidson’s contribution to revive and preserve Haida culture Robert Davidsons period of apprenticeship was brief, and he mastered much of the sophistication of Haida art in his twenties. He carved a totem pole for the village of Masset and, encouraged and aided by his family, raised it with appropriate ceremonies in 1969. A series of exquisite prints in the 1970s expanded his reputation, and in 1978 he completed a commission from the Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada to create a distinctive memorial to Charles Edenshaw, who had been declared an artist of national significance. Unfortunately, the traditional Haida house with its carved and painted memorial housefront burned to the ground a year later. A commission in 1984 from the Maclean Hunter Company for its new headquarters in Toronto resulted in possibly the oddest pole rising on record. The triple Three Watchmen pole was lowered into place in an atrium by a 15-storey crane from the sky world. In 1986, the Pepsi Cola Company commissioned a set of three poles called Three Variations on Killer Whale Myths for its international sculpture park outside New York City. In 1994, the Canadian Museum of Civilization co-sponsored a retrospective exhibit, "Eagle of the Dawn," that brought together three decades of Robert Davidsons work and filled 930 m2 (10,000 square feet) of exhibition space. He continues to work in gold and silver, as well as creating masks and prints and undertaking commissions for monumental sculptures. The fact that Robert Davidson is only slighter older now than Bill Reid was when he began to create art in the Haida style suggests that Davidson has many further contributions to make. Focus on Robert Davidson’s Art with respect to Haida culture and Tradition Though located in an anthropological museum, the exhibition can easily be imagined as situated within an art gallery. Robertson’s choice of materials often lends itself to this notion. Drawings and paintings are executed in acrylic, gouache and/or watercolor on archival fine art paper or on canvas. Traditional Haida media are present as well; however, both sculptures and deerskin drumheads are painted upon with modern acrylics. Davidson finds precedent in Haida art—supported by Haida philosophy, song, dance, story telling and ceremony—for both abstraction from visual reality, and autonomous abstraction. This is illustrated by examples of traditional Haida cultural products, such several bentwood dishes and a paddle. Davidson is quoted in the exhibition as working within the formal visual tropes of Haida art, while simultaneously challenging this tradition.  For him, such an endeavor is tied up with reclaiming and revitalizing cultural knowledge. As well as a practicing visual artist, Robertson is involved with strengthening and maintaining Haida ceremonial, song and dance. Davidson is not solely concerned with Haida art and tradition. “Ravenous”, a sculpture of a raven’s head with a sphere in its beak, represents a mythological episode where Raven steals one eyeball from each of his victims, causing loss of depth perception. The text accompanying the sculpture identifies the artwork and myth as exemplary of the inconsideration for future generations that allow logging on Haida Gwaii (Queen Charlotte Islands). In addition, asymmetrical compositions in Robertson’s abstractions present an escape from the type of constrained thought processes that he says need to be overcome in order for events like 9/11 to be resolved. [Sweet, 1985] The abundance of textual information that shares wall space with the artwork is enlightening, even fascinating, without being overbearing. However, this information falls short in some respects. It is stated that the formal and conceptual concerns of Davidson’s art transcends cultural boundaries, contributing to the broader concerns of contemporary art. While looking back to tradition for that which still holds currency today, one may compare this vision to the works of artists like John Baldessari; the presumption here is that the audience at an anthropological museum is well versed enough in contemporary art to make such connections. Additionally, we are told on several occasions throughout the exhibit that Davidson is building an iconography of personal mythic beings. This has the potential to be one of the most compelling aspects of the show, but little additional information is provided on the subject. Davidson’s art does not rely merely on ideas. Technical virtuosity is extant in his precise lines and curves, striking compositions, and use of color. Whether one prefers Haida or contemporary art, there is enough here to captivate anyone interested in visual culture. Davidson’s Artwork A look at Robert Davidsons prints 1968 – 1979 Robert Davidson was one of the first northwest coast artists to apply two-dimensional design to limited edition prints. As a young artist he learned to cut his own screens and hand pull prints from them. His first editions were not numbered or signed. In 1970 he began numbering and signing his editions. He progressed from single color prints of traditional Haida crest designs to two color original images developed from his own work in wood and silver. Today Davidson, along with his jewelry and woodcarving, produces multicolored prints of contemporary Haida images. He is considered amongst his peers as the premier artist of the northwest coast art form. Some masterpieces of Davidson Raven with Broken Beak Moon #3 (1976) Robert Davidson - "Looking Back at Where we Came From, 2000" The four-color serigraph, Looking Back at Where We Came From was inspired by the artist’s reflecting upon the new millennium and the inherent wisdom of not forgetting past experiences. The print shows his use of traditional imagery and form line combined with innovation on an impressive graphic scale. Frog imagery has been a constant theme in his art over the years and has been described as a “spirit helper” to his work. The energy of the Frog, able to move at the slightest whim, is responsive to changing environments and situations. His first Frog print was created in 1968 and since that time, he has refined the image in a variety of two and three-dimensional media with increasing elegance and sophistication. This is a true Davidson trait. Masks and Carvings (Totem Poles) by Davidson First totem pole raised in Masset in 80 years, 22 August 1969. Photo: University of British Columbia "T.C. with Lyell Island Spruce Tree." Photo: Robert C. Davidson The ancient Sitka spruce tree in the photo above grows on Lyell Island, today known by its Haida name "Athlii Gwaii." In 1985 this was the site of a mass arrest of Haida activists who blockaded the logging road in protest over industrial clear cutting. Tree activism by First Nations in BC cannot be separated from the unresolved issue of Aboriginal Title. The Haida people are seeking legal ownership of their waters and lands - including their monumental heritage trees. [Cole, 1998] End Note Robert Davidson undoubtedly is one of the greatest Haida artists, who has not only give new dimensions to the art but also preserve Haida culture that certainly considered as one of his remarkable achievements. This brief overview on his artwork enlightens the aesthetics that are embedded in him and also highlights some of his great masterpieces. Davidson’s artwork reflects the rich Haida culture and also the modification for the ongoing era. This overview enfolds the creativity and skills of the artist and his struggle in this journey of identification. Sources Dasenbrock, Reed Way Literary Theory after Davidson Pennsylvania State University Press 1993 Abu-Laban, Baha The Human Sciences: Their Contribution to Society and Future Research Needs University of Alberta Press 1988 Sweet, Leonard I The Female Seminary Movement and Woman’s Mission in Antebellum America Church History Vol. 54 1985 Cole, David W The Fate of Milo and the Moral Vision of Wulhering Heights American Notes & Queries Vol. 11 1998 Word Count: 2,052 Read More