Inuit Art Quarterly at 30
1/ IAQ 5.3, Summer 1990 Though nearly 30 years old when it graced the cover of the IAQ (and even older now), Mother Nursing Child (1962) by Johnny Inukpuk, RCA (1911–2007) remains one of the boldest covers in the publication’s history, both in its content and its simplicity. Inukpuk carved breastfeeding scenes throughout his career, but this early, intimate version is likely the most iconic. The work is given ample room to breathe on a clean grey background, inviting a closer look at the work’s tremendous detail, from the mother’s delicately rendered braids to her expressive crossed feet that cradle her feeding child. Not a flashy cover, but certainly a favourite of mine. JOHN GEOGHEGAN Assistant Editor and Circulation Manager 2/ IAQ 22.3, Fall 2007 Janet Kigusiuq’s (1926–2005) playful and lustrous Fruit Still Life (1997) is tauntingly tactile. This work—turned on its side for the cover—features rows of various fruits rendered in layers of delicate, transparent tissue. Decidedly more abstract than any cover image before or after it, this image is striking both for its rich, juicy palette and for its purposeful balance of rounded and rectilinear forms. Produced in the twilight of Kigusiuq’s career, this piece is a profound reminder of the depth and breadth of true creative spirit. It’s works like this that push at the boundaries of the field of Inuit art and reinforce the true contemporaneity of Kigusiuq’s work. BRITT GALLPEN Editor 3/ IAQ 23.1, Spring 2008 Floyd Kuptana’s playful take on the ubiquitous dancing bear in Ballroom Dancer (2005) offers a refreshing and amusing take on perceptions of Inuit art. The sculpture’s sleek, sinuous lines and minimal detailing deftly showcase Kuptana’s interest in humour and provocation, as well as his considerable skill. The work is also pitch-perfect for an issue that gave space to groundbreaking artists like Jamasee Pitseolak and Annie Pootoogook (1969–2016). Ballroom Dancer remains the only dancing bear ever published on the cover of the magazine, and, as such, is a clear reminder of the IAQ’s steadfast support of boundary-breaking artists over the past 30 years. ALYSA PROCIDA Executive Director and Publisher
4/ IAQ 24.4, Winter 2009
The detail of Ningiukulu Teevee’s print Imposing Walrus (2009) on the cover of the Winter 2009 issue is among my favourites. Spanning the full width of the page, Teevee’s playful and energetic lines wriggle, crack and bubble to produce the walrus’ wrinkled skin, adding texture and depth to an otherwise smooth two-dimensional image. The subtly coloured, leathery surface gently skims the page, punctuated by impressive white tusks. Barely visible are the creature’s gentle eyes. Teevee’s walrus only gives a glimpse of a potentially much weightier story, and one wonders what sits beyond the giant figure. CAMILLE USHER Programs Coordinator
5/ IAQ 28.3–4, Fall/Winter 2015
Whenever I look at Heather Campbell’s Early Break Up (2013), for a half second, I see an aerial photograph of seals (or are they whales?) swimming in a small patch of deep azure-coloured water, surrounded by thinning ice. It is not until I focus on how the saturated blue bleeds into muted periwinkle and turquoise that the ink reveals itself. There is a strong correlation between the material and subject matter, as working with ink requires that an artist not only lets go of some control in order to guide the material into desired forms, but also sees, as Campbell does, unique silhouettes as they come to the surface. I imagine the flowing ink as it spreads, mimicking—on a micro level—the simultaneously slow and swift process of hard ice breaking up into water. ASHLEY MCLELLAN Inuit Artist Database Program Coordinator