Wintertime – Robert Davidson

The original painting to this print edition appears in “Robert Davidson: Abstract Impulse” which is the accompanying book to the exhibition that took place at both the Seattle Art Museum and the National Museum of the American Indian, in 2014. The painting is described on page 80:

“Haida life has for generations been dominated by the seasonal rounds of available foods, most of which are preserved in spring, summer and early fall for the cold, inclement winter months. Names of the months refer to seasonal and climatic changes, such as Taan Kuu.ngaay (Bear hibernate month) for November and T’aaGaaw Kuu.ngaay (Snow month) for December. Winter months are punctuated by a succession of storms, precipitation and up to seventeen hours of low light. In times past as well as today, winter is a time for ceremonies. Because temperatures rarely drop to freezing, some plant and animal life are dormant until spring. Wintertime evokes the quietude of life unseen, below the earth’s surface, within the ceremonial house. This spare canvas, with one vertical element against a solid background, has an energetic focus within the singular ovoid, which seems to contain the promise of new life. It is a bold composition for a large painting, one that depends on the most elemental shapes and colours. Humour and irony frequently insinuate themselves into Haida stories and oratory. as well as everyday parlance. Davidson offered his interpretation of this work: it represents the time of year when snow is so deep that you have to stand up to ‘take care of business’.”