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PUDLO PUDLAT (1915 - 1992) |
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Born near Kamadjuak on February 4, 1915, Pudlo Pudlat lived at Coral Harbour until the age of six at which time he moved to Lake Harbour. He had a traditional upbringing and for several years, Pudlat lived a semi nomadic life of seasonal hunting and fishing in order to support his family. During this time, he lived in small camps along the southwest coast of Baffin Island. It was not until the early 1960s that he would move to Cape Dorset and begin his artistic career. Pudlat began by becoming a sculptor, as carving was the principal artistic activity in his new community. However, Pudlat soon devoted himself to drawing, painting and printmaking due to an arm injury that made carving difficult. His artistic mediums depended on what was available in Cape Dorset at the time. He used many modest materials such as felt tipped markers and graphite pencils and showed great artistic capacity in mastering them all. His preferred medium, however, was a combination of acrylic wash and coloured pencils. Pudlat’s subject matter combines a connection to a traditional culture and a fascination with the new technologies changing his community. In contrast with most of his contemporaries, Pudlat depicted in his art the new objects he encountered in the Canadian North and through his travels including images of air travel, powerboats and even new architecture. Just as his work focuses on the narrative content and the semblance of humour underlying his pieces, Pudlat’s work depends on matters of design and composition. His early works are bleak and simple; strong black and white images that show clever use of positive and negative space. Image, background and colour are integrated in his later works that use linear perspective often on two or three picture planes. During his lifetime, Pudlat produced over 4500 drawings, 180 prints and several sculptures. His works are in the collections of most Canadian museums and have been exhibited internationally.
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