Inuit Prints

Historical / Cultural Significance

The Inuit people have lived in the Arctic for thousands of years. Before European contact, these people were completely dependant on animals for food, transportation, and protection against the cold. Wood was scarce and used mainly for sleds, but stone was plentiful. Originally Inuit art was mainly expressed in carved stone, but Europeans brought paper, so beginning early in this century, a new stone art form arose - stone prints. Later, this new art form was expanded to include stencilled prints.

These prints are full of images that depict the world of every day life and the spiritual world of the Inuit. An important Inuit belief is that people can transfrom into animal spirits. Shamans are the intermediaries between the people and the spirit world and are often the subjects of their myths and art.

European culture has altered traditional Inuit life. New technology such as snow mobiles and guns have altered the cultural dependence on animals. Alchoholism and racism have eaten away at their identities and weakened their communities. However, the imagery in their art is still very strong, very moving, and very unique. Inuit art reflects a thriving cultural identity, even if it is one struggling with adversity.

Principles and Elements of Design

The lines in Inuit prints are thick and strong. They curve in a pattern that indicated continuous motion. The Inuit use bold orgnic shapes in their prints. The shapes often create balanced positive and negative shapes. The natural colors of the Arctic are white, browns, blues, and some greens in the summer. The Inuit prints that are made from stone cuts often have a texture of animal fur by using short strokes that all follow the same direction.

Technique/Methodology:

The two dominent painting styles of the Inuit are stone prints and stencilling. This can be done in the classroom by printing with soft linocuts or cutting stencills from heavy paper and using toothbrushes to splatter paint on them. Inuit style art can also be done using markers, tempura or acrylic paints. The strong, simple, often mythical forms will inspire children of all ages and offer a wide range of adaptability to different painting skills.

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