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Artist / Maker : |
Sebastian, Robert E.; Gwin-Jakwsxw
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Title : |
The Fish Run
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Date (Execution) : |
1999
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Geographical Origin : |
Gitanmaax (Hazelton); British Columbia; Canada
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Cultural Group : |
Gitxsan,
Wet'suwet'en
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Style / Period : |
Contemporary 1950 -
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Medium / Material : |
Serigraph
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Support / Technique : |
paper
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Object Type : |
screen prints
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Visual Description :
Image of a school of red and black fish swimming and jumping in the ocean in front of a bright yellow sky with three black pine trees.
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Accession # : |
U014.3.549
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Width (cm) : |
55.50
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Height (cm) : |
38.50
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Depth (cm) : |
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Mandatory Credit : |
Gift from the Collection of George and Christiane Smyth
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Artist Statement :
"A story of old tells of how life was good and the fish were overly plentiful; there were always thousands of fish to harvest.
One time the villagers started to abuse this plenty. They did not have the 'Welcome the fish ceremony,' at the beginning of the year, and they did not respect the fish. They wasted tons of fish by not preserving it properly, and they just didn't care.
A fish spirit got mad (the spirit had had enough of this abuse) and suddenly the fish did an about turn, went back down the river and never returned.
The people began to starve, and not until after many years and a new generation later, when respect was brought back, did they return. We must never forget this." - Robert Sebastian
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