Provenance:

Private Collection, Hamilton, ON

Note:

One of five exceptional drawings in the present auction by the talented artist and respected camp leader Luke Anguhadluq, each represents an iconic aspect of his work. Imagery in the present lot perhaps more than any other speaks to the artist’s unique style of composition. The imagery is described by Cynthia Waye Cook in her comprehensive 2003 retrospective From the Centre, The Drawings of Luke Anguhadluq:

“The circular composition not only represents the actual form of the drum dance but also its spiritual intent, the reinforcement of a sense of communal unity through shared experience. The multi-directional character of the radiating figures encourages the viewer to move around the configuration, take up the position of a member of the audience and participate in the activity.” [1]

Not surprisingly, a closely-related work to the present lot was used to illustrate the cover of Cynthia Waye Cook’s retrospective, while another iteration was chosen to represent the Winnipeg Museum of art’s Qaumajuq centre upon its official 2021 opening. [2]

The present example dating ca. 1970 is in uniquely exceptional condition, with a delightful vibrancy of colour.

(1) Cynthia Waye Cook, From the Centre: The Drawings of Luke Anguhadluq: Ottawa, National Gallery of Canada, 26 November 1993-9 January 1994, Winnipeg, Winnipeg Art Gallery, 5 February-28 March 1994, Toronto, Art Gallery of Ontario, 23 April-4 July 1994 ... (Toronto, ON: Art gallery of Ontario, 1993), 54.
(2) “Qaumajuq " Wag,” WAG (Winnipeg Art Gallery, June 2, 2022), https://www.wag.ca/about/qaumajuq/.

Related Works:

Untitled, 1972, by Luke Anguhadluq