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Inuit art history

A Brief Inuit Art History

The Prehistoric Period

The arctic like any other places in the world have seen the rise and the fall of different civilizations. The first civilization is known as the Dorset people (500-1300). They lived across Arctic Canada to eastern Greenland and south to Newfoundland. The art they produced was closely linked to shaman practices. Most pieces were small scale objects representing animal and human figures and amulets carved out of ivory and bone. Many useful tools like harpoon heads would also be finely decorated probably to give them the favors of the spirits for better hunting. Interestingly enough the polar bear is a pre-eminent figure in Dorset culture art, a figure still very present in contemporary Inuit art.

The Dorset culture suddenly disappeared and the reasons for that still remain obscure. Oral Inuit history tells us they fled form the new comers, the Thule (1100-1700). They came from Alaska and the art they produced was significantly different from the earlier Dorset people. Thule art has been described as « essentially graphic in emphasis » and consisted mostly of decorated tools representing scenes of hunt or dot patterns. Their sculptural art consisted of small ivory pendants often representing woman and some intriguing « swimming figures ». These special objects may have had some ritual functions or may they have been only decorative objects this is still unknown. By the time the first European explorers came Thule culture fractured into different regional groups that are now designated as the Inuit culture.

The Historic Period

The 1770`s mark the beginning of the historic period in Inuit art. The first period influenced by Europeans who started to settle and trade with the local Inuit until the 1940`s. They were mostly missionaries but also explorers, whalers, traders and others. The art production would then change from decorative tools or shamanic amulets to a trade commodity. The Inuit being still nomadic people the objects they produced were mostly miniature or small scale ivory pieces representing themselves or animals but sometimes larger functional objects such as cribbage boards. The graphic productions were usually etchings on ivory representing Inuit life in a two-dimensional way similar as the ones made by their predecessors.

Of course Inuit did have the concept art in the European sense so far but this period marks the transition from a purely Inuit centered production to what will become production meant not for trade but for commerce. The first two cultures produced art for themselves and now the art was produced for others and its main purpose was trading. The concept of art production evolved rapidly in the historic period and this would lay the pavement for the contemporary art period.

The Contemporary Period

The 1950`s were a period of extreme change in Inuit culture. The nomadic people that Inuit always have been would be forced by the government to settle into villages close to the trading posts. This new way of living pressured the Inuit to depend on exported goods for their survival creating a need for them and for governments to find new ways to assure their survival. Art would answer part of this new equation.

James Houston was the first to really put efforts to creating interest in and a market for Inuit art. He consistently traveled throughout the arctic to promote art production in different communities and he helped organize the first exhibitions of Inuit art and even worked with US an Canadian officials to facilitate the exportation of Inuit art.

The Inuit being used to carve small ivory objects would then have to carve stone a medium more plentiful then wood up north as the ivory supply could not cope the demand for sculpture. The scale of the carvings would change and larger carvings were made since traveling with the artworks was no longer necessary. The subjects diversified and now include mother and childs, camp life scenes, spiritual compositions and the more traditional themes. Most pieces became more detailed but keeping a « primitive look » to most western buyers. This new dynamic in Inuit art production would become a splendid art of acculturation.

Many now consider Inuit art as being just a tourist art rather then a fine art but this debate is mostly for intellectuals. The Inuit have shown incredible ingenuity and a power to adapt to ever changing realities in the past and the contemporary art production is one of the best examples. The great Inuit carvers are now respected and are the new idols of younger generation. The art is now widely exposed and the art production is now stronger then ever.