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Dogfish Mother

ca. 1988

First Nations, Haida, born 1954

Comparing Reg Davidson’s version of the Haida Dogfish crest with his brother Robert’s earlier rendition, one sees how the singular figure has evolved into a complex and abstract design enclosed within a circular frame. The iconic solitary figure of the earliest years of printmaking appealed to patrons of galleries and gift shops, yet artists were eager to move toward greater challenges. Reg has said that his participation in Haida ceremonies and as a member of the Rainbow Creek Dancers has expanded his understanding of Haida visual art and his interpretations of it.

Silkscreen on Arches buff paper

22 x 22 1/2 in. (55.9 x 57.2 cm)

Gift of R. Bruce and Mary-Louise Colwell

2018.29.21

Provenance: [Pacific Editions Limited, Victoria, British Columbia]; purchased by Bruce and Mary-Louise Colwell, Seattle, Washington, Feb. 20, 2001

Not currently on view

Resources

Exhibition HistorySeattle, Washington, Seattle Art Museum, INKED! Northwest Coast Silkscreen Prints from the Colwell Collection, Mar. 5 - Dec. 12, 2021.

Seattle Art Museum respectfully acknowledges that we are on Indigenous land, the traditional territories of the Coast Salish people. We honor our ongoing connection to these communities past, present, and future.

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