Name/Title
Drawing on the FloorEntry/Object ID
2016.19.01Description
Annie Pootoogook (b. 1969–2016, Kinngait, Nunavut) was a Canadian Inuk artist known for her pen and coloured pencil drawings. Both her parents and her grandmother, Pitseolak Ashoona, were some of the most highly respected graphic artists of their generations. Pootoogook was born during a time when consumer culture had entered northern society. Her artworks draw from her personal experiences and memories, capturing a changing world with the availability of new products, modern amenities, and mass media.
Pootoogook began producing art around the age of 28, often from her house. Against recommendations that she produce traditional art that was deemed more marketable, Pootoogook chronicled the real challenges between tradition and modernity in mundane scenes of domestic life. From images of watching television with her family while her mother cut fish with an ulu (knife) to scenes that allude to alcoholism, she was innovative in her ability to express the emotions and concerns of the modern North. Although firmly rooted in the specifics of her time and place, Pootoogook conveyed themes from public and private life that were relatable.
Drawing on the Floor (2003) depicts a moment of anguish as two figures draw on the floor. The figure on the left kneels with their hands pressed to their faces as a single tear is shown between their finger and thumb. To her left, another figure with red lips is shown drawing in what appear to be a traditional style. Pootoogook, who was known for working out of her house, illustrates the challenges and frustrations of artists who face the conventional expectations of ‘Inuit’ or Indigenous graphic art.Artwork Details
Medium
ink and crayon on paper