Susan Point

Susan, born in 1952, is a Coast Salish Indian from the Musqueam Reserve in

Vancouver. She immersed herself in the study of traditional Coast Salish art, and

emerged with a language of design both authentic yet vibrantly contemporary.

Like many native artists, she uses the form and meaning found in traditional art to

create innovative work in a wide range of mediums. In 1980, Susan opened a

studio and created her first works in silver and gold. She has produced limited

edition graphics, woodblock prints, serigraphs, glass etchings, handmade paper

castings, textile and fashion prints. She has also designed and made patterns for

cast iron sculpture as well as concrete Bas relief sculpture. Susan stated: .. My

use of traditional elements has become second nature to me - like an alphabet -

helping me to describe any image I wish. When doing contemporary expressions

such as acrylics on canvass, I become more illustrative, but I always integrate my

ancestral Coast Salish elements into the work. I feel the role of native art is to

continuously evolve, to express the cultural beliefs and changes of its community

now and in the future ... One of the most common element is the circular design

from the Coast Salish whorls used in spinning. The elaborately designed whorls

were carved by men for women to use invoke feminine images and

whirling/tornado like energy. But there is no history as to the meaning of the

designs. After copying designs of museum pieces, Susan developed her own

designs. For a short while she signed her work as Susan A. Sparrow but then she

returned to using her maiden name. The Coast Salish art from the lower Canadian

mainland and southeastern Vancouver Island is not very familiar and their are few

examples of it in the museum collections. Artist involved in recreating the style in

addition to Susan are Charles Elliot, Stan Green and Rod Modest. Susan Point

has become one of the most innovative artists of her generation as well as being a

leading traditional artist. Starting in the Coast Salish style in the 80's, she adapted

the style to works in glass with critical success. Her scale has grown and she

worked recently with Robert Davidson on monumental commission for the Royal

Canadian Mounted Police. Another monumental piece is at the Vancouver

International Airport.