Serigraph, Printer’s Proof, Edition I of II

2010

Unframed

(For inquiries on custom framing, please contact the gallery.)

This limited-edition serigraph was created utilizing Susan’s granite installation Salish Path at UBC’s Museum of Anthropology as inspiration. Welcoming visitors to the recently revamped museum, Salish Path showcases the advancement of materials and techniques in First Nations work while staying true to the beliefs and history of her culture.

In Susan’s words: “The artwork for this project is a crop of a print I did in 2006 called ‘Peripheral Visions – Salish Footprint,’ however, over time it has been revised quite a bit in order to make the overall design work in stone. The imagery is based on the whorls and lines of a thumb or toe print, transformed using distinctive Salish elements, and incorporating many of the life forms found in the land, sea, and skies surrounding the Museum of Anthropology. The artwork emphasizes the Salish connection to the site – a reminder that the surrounding land is Musqueam traditional territory and a welcome from the Musqueam people to this territory.

The imagery in this design, although done in my own contemporary style, is created incorporating traditional Salish elements (basically, reflecting the Salish vocabulary/alphabet in my artistic style). The imagery within reflects salmon and birds; and upon a closer look other subtle images can be seen (left to the viewer’s creativity).

This work emphasizes the Salish connection to these lands – in many cases the artwork itself is a Salish mark that is written into the earth as a visual expression of the link between the Musqueam people and the MOA site. The artwork also refers to many aspects of Musqueam life — our connection to the water, our weaving tradition, our links to our ancestors through storytelling and so on. In laying out the colors of the stonework, the red running through the center represents the blood of the people (all peoples). The stone is laid out haphazardly to make the point that no one’s imprint is the same. The layout also complements the architecture. As well, it relates to Musqueam house posts and cross beam architecture.”