UMMA’s second exhibition of Inuit art derived from the Power Family’s generous promised gift to the Museum in 2018 explores the relationship between the artist and the representation of everyday experiences. Through a selection of mid-century to contemporary Inuit prints, drawings, and sculptures that portray seemingly ordinary reflections of daily life along with daydreaming meditations, the exhibition bridges the mundane and the fantastic. Together, these artworks present a distinct imagery and a visual poetry culled from the day-to-day reality of life in the far polar north. The perspectives range from soaring gazes at the horizon to glimpses of commonplace social interactions. These contemplations reveal intimate connections among the artists, their communities, and their locale—a specific place and time composed of icy regions and vast seas and tundras. Reflections: An Ordinary Day takes visitors on a lyrical journey of the myriad spaces and routines within an Arctic landscape.
This exhibition is made possible by the Power Family Program for Inuit Art, established in 2018 through the generosity of Philip and Kathy Power.
Images
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Annie Pootoogook, A Friend Visits, Cape Dorset, 2008, aquatint. University of Michigan Museum of Art, Museum purchase. © Dorset Fine Arts. Photography: Charlie Edwards
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Saggiak, Spirit, Cape Dorset, 1959, bone. Promised gift of Philip and Kathy Power. © Dorset Fine Arts. Photography: Charlie Edwards
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Artist unknown, Sea Spirit, Cape Dorset, ca. 1955, stone. Promised gift of Philip and Kathy Power. Photography: Charlie Edwards
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Sheokjuk Oqutaq, Hunting Scene, Cape Dorset, ca. 1954, stone and ivory. Promised gift of Philip and Kathy Power. © Dorset Fine Arts. Photography: Charlie Edwards
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Pitseolak Ashoona, Man Repairing Sledge, Cape Dorset, 1964, stencil. Promised gift of Philip and Kathy Power. © Dorset Fine Arts. Photography: Charlie Edwards
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Ningeokuluk Teevee, Shaman Revealed, Cape Dorset, 2007, lithograph. Courtesy of Ray Roberge and George Barvinchak. © Dorset Fine Arts. Photography: Charlie Edwards