RELEASE

The Octopus Box
Siblings create art together
By Janeen Hartley
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Artists April White and her brothers Geoff and Darrell are all
greatly influenced by their Haida heritage. The three siblings
collaborated on a magnificent work of art that premiered in an
exhibit at the Comox Valley Public Art Gallery this summer.
The inspiration for this piece was the octopus, an intelligent
creature with seemingly supernatural behaviour. Woodwork,
painting and carving come together in a single work of art marrying
the unique talents of the three artists.
This collaborative work of art displays the siblings’ unique
talents.
Geoff, the eldest of the three, made the traditional bent wood
cedar box. April, the painter in the family, created the original
designs in native form line as well as natural depictions of ancient
Haida totems from the ancestral lands. Darrell, who has just recently
mastered carving in argillite (black slate stone of which the
Haida have exclusive mineral rights) and wood, is responsible for
the stunning carving on the top of the box. Interestingly, Darrell
became an artist later in life after a long career as a welder.
The Haida have been expressing themselves through their art
for many years. The masters from yesteryear are still celebrated
and consulted for inspiration as today’s artists maintain the traditional
shapes and nuances of this prestigious art form.
The 150-year family tree of Geoff, April and Darrell White
takes up an entire museum wall. This living document has overgrown
its capacity as the generations continue to produce more
Haida dedicated to the preservation of their heritage.
An observer to the Haida culture will find the artists of Haida
Gwaii apply their art to everything in life. The ways of the
people may have changed with the times but the hands of the
people are always creating in a manner that pays attention to
detail and authenticity.
Anthropologists will give you numerous reasons for the capacity
of the Haida to continue to produce an art form that is
recognized around the world. My observation is that if one practices
the culture, the culture will exist. Families have the ability
to transfer skill and knowledge through the everyday practices
of living, incorporating the ancient with the modern.
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