Eleeshushe Parr

Eleeshushe Parr (Elishusee/Ilisusi/Elishushi/Elishusee/Elisusi/Illishushi/Parr Parr) (June 9, 1896 – February, 1975) was an Inuk graphic artist and sculptor, from the Kingnait area, who produced over 1,160 drawings.[1][2][3] Her work has been exhibited in Canada, the United States, and Sweden.[1]

Eleeshushe Parr
BornJune 9, 1896
DiedFebruary, 1975
Known forPrint, drawing, textile, and sculpture

Background

Eleeshushe and her husband, the sculptor and printmaker Parr (1893-1969), lived a traditional nomadic lifestyle with their nine children, both biological and adopted.[1][3][4] The couple settled in Cape Dorset Northwest Territories (now Nunavut), Canada  in 1961, after her aging spouse suffered declining health and fell victim to frostbite, resulting in partial amputation of his right foot.[4] Eleeshushe's children Nuna (b. 1949), Eepervik, and Quvianatuliak Parr (b. 1930) are also artists in Cape Dorset.[1] Parr's grandson, Peter Parr (b. 1970), is also an artist.[1]

Artistic career

Eleeshushe began drawing during the formative years of Cape Dorset's printmaking.[5] One of the more prolific Inuit artists she left over 1,000 prints in the archives of the West Baffin Eskimo Co-operative.[1] Her drawings were included in the annual Cape Dorset Graphics Collection from 1966 to 1969.[1] In 1970, the WBEC changed the name of its annual 'graphics' collection to 'print' collection.[6] This 83 print collection, the 11th, was the last collection for Eleeshushe Parr.[6] The collection opened on October 31 at 50 galleries, with the official opening at the Quest in Victoria, British Columbia.[6] Eleeshushe also occasionally made carvings, and was recognized by her community for her designs and her ability to sew traditional skin garments with inset patterns.[5][7]

Prints, such as "Boy Playing With Dogs" (1966), demonstrate Eleeshushe's typical depictions of animals, Inuit people and elements of life in Northern Canada.[8] In this specific work, a young Inuk boy plays with dogs, simulating a hunting scene where the dogs represent game and the boy is about to harpoon.[8] The imitation of hunters is an important element in the education of boys.[8] The stencilled drawing has soft shapes of little detail except for the boy's and animal's eyes, mouth and nose.[8]

Exhibitions

Collections

References
  1. "Canadian Women Artists History Initiative : Artist Database : Artists : PARR, Eleeshushe". cwahi.concordia.ca. Retrieved 2018-03-10.
  2. Quintieri, Marcel and Lori Cutler (1996). Biographies of Inuit Artists. Ottawa: Indian and Northern Affairs Canada. p. 51.
  3. "Katilvik - Home". www.katilvik.com. Retrieved 2018-03-10.
  4. Crandall, Richard C.; Crandall, Susan M. (2007-08-01). An Annotated Bibliography of Inuit Art. McFarland. ISBN 9781476607436.
  5. Blodgett, Jean (1983). Grasp Tight the Old Ways: Selections from the Klamer Family Collection of Inuit Art. Toronto: Art Gallery of Ontario. p. 79.
  6. Crandall, Richard C. (2000). Inuit Art: A History. McFarland and Company, Inc., Publishers. p. 186.
  7. Gustavison Blodgett, Jean and Susan (1993). Strange Scenes: Early Cape Dorset Drawings, First Edition. McMichael Gallery.
  8. inuitartzone.com. "Events". inuitartzone.com. Retrieved 2018-03-10.
  9. 1945-, Blodgett, Jean (1993). Strange scenes : early Cape Dorset drawings. Gustavison, Susan J. (Susan Joan), 1945-, McMichael Canadian Art Collection. [Kleinburg, Ont.]: McMichael Canadian Art Collection. ISBN 0777808382. OCLC 27851502.CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  10. Eleeshushe Parr
  11. 1945-, Blodgett, Jean (1983). Grasp tight the old ways : selections from the Klamer family collection of Inuit art. Art Gallery of Ontario. Toronto, Ont.: Art Gallery of Ontario. ISBN 0919876927. OCLC 11316213.CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)

Further reading
  • Duval, Paul and McMichael Canadian Collection. A Heritage of Canadian Art: The McMichael Collection. Toronto: Clarke, Irwin, 1976.
  • Blodgett, Jean, McMichael Canadian Art Collection, and George and Joanne MacDonald Collection of Northwest Coast Art. In Cape Dorset we do it this Way: Three Decades of Inuit Printmaking. Kleinburg, Ontario: McMichael Canadian Art Collection, 1991.
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