DRAWING THE LINE:
Cape Dorset Engravings and Early Puvirnituq Stonecut Prints
April 26

Galleries
» Lines In Copper: Engravings from Cape Dorset
» Drawings In Stone: Early Puvirnituq Prints

In 1962, the Cape Dorset print collection catalogue introduced two exciting developments in Inuit printmaking: crisp engravings by Cape Dorset artists, and dynamic stonecut prints from Povungnituk (now Puvirnituq). As alternatives to the bold, iconic Dorset stonecut image, these new prints shared an emphasis on line and a direct connection with the hand of the artist.

Beginning in 1959, Cape Dorset annual releases consisted of stonecut or stencil prints made in a cooperative manner. First, graphic artists created drawings on paper. Next, stonecut assistants handled the demanding physical work of cutting selected designs into the hard surface of a stone block for printing. An exciting alternative - engraving - enabled artists to draw their own compositions directly onto a copper printing plate using a sharp digging tool. A handful of Cape Dorset artists boldly embraced the possibilities of this new medium, led by the likes of Kananginak Pootoogook, Lukta Qiatsuq and Iyola Kingwatsiak, already established artists as well as skilled stonecut printers. They were joined by Kenojuak Ashevak, Jamasie Teevee, Pitseolak Ashoona and others whose linear graphic impulses were well served by the subtlety of engraving, depicting detailed scenes of camp life, spirit transformations and intricate animal studies.

Inspired by the success of Cape Dorset prints, in 1961 Puvirnituq became the second Inuit community to embark on a printmaking venture. Rather than rely upon print assistants to translate graphite drawings into prints, Arctic Quebec artists worked directly into the stone surface of their own print blocks. Davidialuk Alasua Amittu, Charlie Sivuarapik and Joe Talirunili were among the established sculptors who approached the print stone not as draftsmen but as expressive carvers constructing compositions within the unique shape of individual print blocks. Likely as a result of this irregularly shaped 'drawing' surface, early Puvirnituq stonecuts rarely display the characteristic symmetry of Cape Dorset stonecut prints, conveying instead a strong sense of directional movement. The ragged exterior contour of the stone edge often became an integral part of the Puvirnituq print, further personalized by artist signatures or detailed syllabic inscriptions cut prominently into the image surface. The sculptors-turned-printmakers exploited the illustrative potential of graphics to develop lively themes already favoured in Puvirnituq sculpture; images of hunting and traditional Inuit mythology abound.

At Cape Dorset, artists marked lines in copper; at Puvirnituq, they drew directly in stone. The delicate effect of a Cape Dorset linear engraving is dramatically different than the energetic impact of a Puvirnituq stonecut print; nevertheless, above all other forms of early Inuit printmaking, these images provide the most powerful links to the hand of the individual artist.