Name/Title
Close Perspectives PaddleEntry/Object ID
2023.09.04Description
Sculpture
Hand-carved and painted sculptural wooden paddle with a salmon and Blue Grouse feather design in blue and black acrylic, and copper overlay and cedar root wrap detailing, commissioned by the Union Club of B.C.
This paddle is done in 'formline', a Pacific Northwest Coast First Nations art form distinguished by the use of characteristic shapes, such as ovoids, U forms and trigons used for figure outlines, design elements and composition. This First Nations art system is unique in that it is based on a structured and traditional set of rules and principles that govern how a design is organized and presented. However, regional characteristics reflecting variances in composition, complexity and colour have evolved over time.Type of Sculpture
Free StandingArtwork Details
Medium
Paint on yellow cedarSubject
According to Marston, the artist, her design was inspired by the pattern of salmon muscle and a Blue Grouse feather. See Artist Statement below.
Salmon have always been a mainstay food source in the Pacific Northwest and their existence is essential to the survival of the environment and life, as a provider of food for people and wildlife. And as such, salmon are highly respected and continue to be an enduring and popular subject in both artwork and culture, symbolizing abundance, fertility, prosperity and renewal. According to legend, the salmon were actually people with superhuman abilities and eternal lives.
The Blue Grouse (Dendragapus species) is the largest of the four groups of grouse currently found in B.C., and is a fairly common bird in forested areas of Vancouver Island.Subject Place
Region
Pacific NorthwestContinent
North AmericaContext
This is one of four First Nations paddles, specially commissioned by the Union Club in 2022, intended to increase representation and visibility of the art and culture of the principal First Nations of Vancouver Island, B.C. - Coast Salish, Kwakwaka'wakw and Nuuchahnulth (southeast, northwest and northeast). Each paddle reflects different riches from our natural environment and was designed and created by a different First Nations artist. Each paddle also pays homage to centuries of ancestral heritage while also nourishing the role this heritage plays today. The paddles were formally unveiled at the Club on September 21, 2023 prior to Canada's National Day for Truth and Reconciliation on September 30.
Paddles are, of course, utilitarian objects used to propel an individual forward but also highly symbolic in that, as we paddle together, we advance our community forward as part of a larger journey. Crafted in yellow cedar in varied colours, some enhanced with copper, shell and other materials, these paddles have been created with great attention to detail and powerful imagery.Made/Created
Artist Information
Artist
Angela Marston ("Satuts Stsuhwum")Role
ArtistDate made
2023Time Period
21st CenturyNotes
ARTIST STATEMENT
"As an artist I find I am often looking at things closely to see how they are put together. When I’m creating a new design, I often take photos, blow them up and study how the object is built. Taking apart a fern, salmon, bird, or water to see the very fine details of the structure and I incorporate the basic noticeable elements into the design. Studying nature from a microscopic lens is important to understanding how shapes, design, water, wind all work and flow.
One day I was standing at the top of a mountain and noticed that the way the tide was flowing in the straight it created an old Salish design that is found on old sheep horn bracelets. So, I took a picture, blew it up and turned it into a black and white photo. Noticing the patterns, capturing them, and studying them in close detail is all part of how I understand how nature works and I create new designs. I have been studying how to use one colour to create two parts of a design and taking designs apart in layers to better understand how to simplify further.
This paddle design comes from a couple of inspirations. A few weeks ago, I was cleaning some salmon we caught and noticed when filleting it the strands of muscle make a pattern, so I put this design at the top of the blade. A few years ago, I was designing a Blue Grouse and found one feather when hiking up the mountain and it’s that single feather that is depicted on the lower part of the blade of the paddle.
I have been working to dismantle designs I see in nature and depict the simplicity of structure into the main part of the designs I create. Representing the core structures while including the exterior natural beauty has changed the way I put pieces together. Exploring the beautiful exterior of nature while studying the complexities of the internal workings is where my designs
are inspired from.
If we don’t pay attention to the fine details [we]...will miss so much."
ARTIST BIOGRAPHY
Born in Ladysmith, B.C., Angela Marston ("Satuts Stsuhwum") is an accomplished Coast Salish artist born into a family of artists. Her parents are Jane and David Marston who are talented wood carvers, as is her brother Luke. From an early age Marston was taught traditional Coast Salish art methods, and she began weaving cedar bark at the age of 14, after learning from the artists Kathy Edgar and Minney Peters. Since her graduation in 2014 from Vancouver Island University in Nanaimo with a Bachelor of Arts and a minor in Visual Arts, she has been studying and creating unique art works from bark weavings to rattles to paddles.
Marston’s weaving was displayed at the Legacy Art Gallery show “Carrying our Ancestors” in Greater Victoria, and her works can be found in the collections of the National Gallery of Canada and the Canadian Museum of History. Marston also has an interest in fashion design, and her designs were chosen to be made into scarves and ties for the staff uniforms at the Vancouver International Airport. Her interest in Coast Salish traditional medicine has also led her to develop lotion and soap for people with hypersensitive skin.Inscription/Signature/Marks
Type
SignatureLocation
Verso paddleDimensions
Width
17.78 cmDepth
3.81 cmLength
160.02 cmAcquisition
Acquisition Method
PurchaseDate
2023Relationships
Related Entries
Notes
2023.09.02 Orca Paddle by Chazz Elliott ("Temoseng" aka Charles Elliott Jr.)
2023.09.03 Kwakiutl Raven Paddle by Trevor Cole Hunt ("T'łalis")
2023.09.04 Close Perspectives Paddle by Angela Marston ("Satuts Stsuhwum")
2023.09.05 Wolf Paddle by Moy Sutherland ("Hiish-miik" and "Chioton" aka Morris Sutherland Jr.)
