Name/Title
The Beginning: Battle of the Thunderbird and the Killer WhaleEntry/Object ID
2020.01.04Description
Sculpture
This carving explores the Pacific Northwest Coast First Nations myth of the epic struggle between the Thunderbird, a benevolent supernatural being, and the Killer Whale. The three-dimensional carved images almost appear to be suspended in mid-air in the circular design in the form of a spindle whorl. The carving was commissioned by the Union Club of B.C.
The sculpture is done in 'formline', a Pacific Northwest Coast First Nations art system that is unique, based on a traditional set of principles that govern how a design is organized and presented. Crafted in sand-carved glass and mounted on red cedar, the sculpture has been created with great attention to detail and powerful imagery.Type of Sculpture
ReliefArtwork Details
Medium
Sand-carved glass on red-cedarSubject Place
Region
Pacific NorthwestContinent
North AmericaContext
The stories of the Thunderbird and the Whale battle may vary across different First Nations peoples; however, they typically describe a shaking earth with water inundating the land and uprooting trees. It is believed that these mythical stories have basis in fact and are tied to earthquakes and tsunamis along the Cascadia subduction zone (the long fault boundary between the North American and Juan de Fuca tectonic plates) off the Pacific Northwest Canadian and U.S. coast, and specifically the Cascadia 8.7-9.2 magnitude earthquake and subsequent tsunami of 1700.
The Cascadia event occurred mid-evening on January 26, as documented by the oral traditions and art of First Nations on Vancouver Island (e.g. Huuayaht - Nuuchahnulth, Kwakwaka'wakw and Cowichan) and down the U.S. coast to northern California (e.g. Makah, Tillamook and Yurok), written records in Japan and scientific studies, such as those done on the "ghost" forests along the coasts of the states of Oregon and Washington - coastal forests that are believed to been instantly killed by some 12 m of salt floodwater, the remains of which are visible as stumps sticking up above the sand at low tide. The Cascadia earthquake and tsunami altered forever the coast and peoples of northwestern North America and then sent a tsunami across the Pacific Ocean to Japan. The so-called "orphan tsunami" that arrived in Japan at midnight on January 26 without warning (no earthquake was felt at the time) would not be linked to its parent Pacific Northwest earthquake until the middle 1990s, and new research indicates that this may have been one of a series of earthquakes.
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This sculpture was specially commissioned by the Union Club in 2019 with the intention of increasing representation and visibility of the art and culture of First Nations on Vancouver Island, B.C., in this case the Tsartlip. "The Beginning" was formally unveiled at the Club in January 2020.Made/Created
Artist Information
Artist
Chris PaulRole
ArtistDate made
2019Time Period
21st CenturyNotes
ARTIST STATEMENT
"The Beginning shows the thunderbird and the killer whale in movement, a battle, an age-old story we told to our children. Their struggle has taught us a lot. The mythical beings. To understand them we must be humans listening to a story, rooted in our grandfather’s words. His storytelling excited our imagination. Grandfather with us around the longhouse fire. The story would begin - with the clouds opening up and a great clap of thunder, my grandfather’s arms wide open and all of us kids huddling together. From the ocean the long dorsal fin cutting the sea in half. These stories ignited our imagination, brought our history alive and helped us to understand where we came from.
I have found that these stories have helped my art and awoke something in me. Fortunately, I get to keep these stories alive by retelling them with my artistry and passing this on to my children who have become artists.
The gift of storytelling. The gift of art. We pass the knowledge on."
ARTIST BIOGRAPHY
Born near Victoria, B.C., Chris Paul is a member of the Tsartlip First Nation near Brentwood Bay on Vancouver Island. He was immersed in Coast Salish art as a child, and was mentored by his uncle, Salish artist Charles Elliott. And now his three children, Sage, Cosiniye and Liam are also artists. Paul trained at En’owkin and at the Gitanmaax School of Northwest Coast Art in ‘Ksan, as well as completing a two-year apprenticeship under Tsimshian First Nations artist, Roy Henry Vickers.
Paul is known for his depictions of the flora and fauna of his Island home, as well as the mythologies of his culture. His artwork includes carvings, paintings, glass works, and limited edition prints. Paul has brought to Salish Art a distinct combination of traditional and contemporary design. He has created works for a number of institutions such as the University of Victoria, Camosun College, the Victoria Conference Centre and the Sidney Pier Hotel. He has taught in local schools and given design and carving workshops in his studio and at the University of Victoria.Inscription/Signature/Marks
Type
SignatureLocation
Signed lower right on circular mount: Chris PaulAcquisition
Acquisition Method
PurchaseDate
2019Notes
Commissioned by The Union Club of British Columbia.
