Two-coloured serigraph/silkscreen prints on paper, 14 ¼” x 21 ½”, titled Loons I & Loons II, by Native Canadian artist Jackson Beardy (1944-1984), signed, titled, numbered and dated. ‘Loons I’ depicts a pair of loons swimming in an undulating pool of colour space consisting of a band of black, then yellow, and finally red. A ray of spirit power emanates from each bird to join a large red and yellow Miigiis floating above, centre right, representing the sun. ‘Loons II’ depicts a pair of stylized conjoined loons with x-ray anatomy cradling two young in the arc of their conjoined bodies. A single ray of spirit power emanates from the tongue of each adult bird joining the open mouth of a chick. Each chick has x-ray anatomy representing internal spirit-circles – these are almost certainly Miigiis. Another ray of spirit power emanates from each adult bird to join a large red and yellow Migiis floating in the left upper corner. NOTE: Miigiis shells are small white cowrie shells found in South Seas which in native belief represent the sun.
Beardy’s style of art was characterized by the use of black outlining, blocks of pure undiluted color and x-ray views. Much inspiration was drawn from the stories of the Ojibway people, translating myths and legends from the oral tradition into the visual and presenting his interpretation of the stories through paintings and prints. Conveying the essence of the stories he had learned as a young child and relearned as an adult Beardy’s work reflects traditional Native viewpoints about the interconnectedness of the universe.
Artist: Jackson Beardy (Canadian, 1944-1984)
Title I: Loons I
Title II: Loons II
Medium: limited edition silk screen/serigraph
Markings I: inscribed in pencil lower left “Loons I”; numbered in pencil bottom centre “45/100”; signed and dated in pencil lower right “Jackson Beardy ‘78”; sticker residue from gallery label verso (see Markings II)
Markings II: inscribed in pencil lower left “Loons II”; numbered in pencil bottom centre “45/100”; signed and dated in pencil lower right “Jackson Beardy ‘78”; Gallery label verso “INUKSHUK GALLERIES Inc. Eskimo and Indian Art / 25 Young Street East, Waterloo, Ontario N2J 4A4”
Dimensions (sight): 14 ¼” tall x 21 ½” wide
Dimensions (framed): 20 ¼” tall x 26 ¼” wide
Origin: Canada
Date: 1978
Condition: Excellent Vintage Condition (8). There is light acid burn from the acid mat used by the original gallery. Aesthetically this does not deter from the pictures desirability and may actually give it the patina often found with age. The colours are bright and strong and both serigraphs have been re-matted with 100% rag that is Calcium Carbonate buffered to stop any further damage and slowly neutralize the acid already present. We unconditionally guarantee that no further deterioration will occur from the mat.
