Woman Taking Man Home from Pool Hall

(1976)

I’m grateful that Thomassie Kudluk (1910– 1989), one of Nunavik’s most eccentric artists, inscribed his carvings with detailed captions. Through translation, I am able to better understand unusual compositions like Woman Taking Man Home from Pool Hall. Initially, the small figure grouping— a man hanging upside down off of another figure’s shoulders—seems surreal. But, Kudluk’s inscription reveals what is really at play—a scene of domestic struggle rendered in a comic way. Kudluk’s works are often quite humourous, but generally require the viewer to read the inscription to be in on his joke. His works make me wonder what stories are hiding in other carvings that will never be fully understood because their creators, unlike Kudluk, didn’t write them down.

WINNIPEG ART GALLERY Thomassie Kudluk (1910–1989 Kangiqsuk) —Woman Taking Man Home from Pool Hall 1976Inscription: She says her boyfriend is always going to the pool hall, and she is bringing him back. Stone15.5 × 7.6 × 6.3 cm