by Clint Leung
When most people think about stone sculptures, it's probably
giant pieces of abstract art located outside large buildings or
perhaps inside a famous art gallery or museum. Sometimes people
think of stone sculptures as the ancient Roman or Greek
mythological characters like Apollo, Venus or Zeus. For
contemporary fine art, many see stone sculpture only for serious
collectors or for the rich and famous to display in their well
kept mansions. Most individuals, even avid art fans, rarely think
about or are even aware of Inuit stone sculptures from the
Canadian Arctic north.
The Inuit people (formerly referred to as Eskimos in Canada) have
been carving stone sculptures for thousands of years but it was
only introduced as fine art to the modern world on a significant
scale during the 1950s. Today, Inuit stone sculptures have gained
international recognition as a valid form of contemporary fine
art. Even so, most people who are aware of Inuit stone sculptures
are those who have visited Canada in the past and got exposed to
this interesting form of aboriginal art while visiting Canadian
museums or galleries.
If you haven't seen Inuit stone sculpture, there's a lot to offer
from the Canadian Arctic. The Inuit do some very realistic
sculptures of the Arctic wildlife they are so intimately familiar
with. These include seals, walruses, birds and of course, the
mighty polar bears. Human subjects depicting the Inuit Arctic
lifestyle are also popular as stone sculptures. One can see
pieces showing hunters, fisherman and even Inuit mothers with
their children. The stone sculptures can come in a variety of
different colors including black, brown, grey, white and green.
Some pieces are highly polished and shiny while others retain the
rougher, primitive look. Styles can vary depending upon where in
the Arctic the Inuit sculptors are located.
An Inuit stone sculpture can definitely be integrated into one's
home décor and will usually be quite a conversational piece since
most people have never seen such artwork before. This is
especially true in areas located outside Canada where Inuit stone
sculpture is not well known. Canadians have often given Inuit
stone sculptures as unique business or personal gifts. There are
Inuit stone sculptures to suit almost every price range and
budget at about $100 to several thousand dollars for large,
intricate pieces. Most can be purchased at galleries located in
major Canadian cities but there are now a few galleries located
in the USA and Europe that specialize in this form of art. Not
surprisingly, the latest retail source of Inuit stone sculpture
is on the internet. This development is especially useful for
those who are not located near an Inuit art gallery.
So if Inuit stone sculpture is new to you, have a look on the
internet. You will likely be impressed by the workmanship and
artistic beauty of this unique art form. An entire new world from
the Canadian Arctic will be available to you for your enjoyment.
About the Author:
Clint Leung is owner of Free Spirit Gallery
http://www.FreeSpiritGallery.ca , an online gallery specializing
in Inuit Eskimo and Northwest Native American art including
carvings, sculpture and prints. Free Spirit Gallery has numerous
information resource articles with photos of authentic Inuit and
Native Indian art as well as free eCards.