Bear

Artist/Curatorial Statement

The Spirits of Snow & Ice Collection of ten limited edition serigraphs pays homage to the winter sports that take place in my hometown and all over much of British Columbia. The prints in this series bring together the four worlds present in our First Nations belief structure: the sky world represented by the dawning of a new day; the land world to which all the athletes in these images belong; the sea world evoked through the frozen waves of snow and ice; the spirit world guiding the athletes and giving them the characteristics of our sacred animals. The background image of the animals is done in respect of my Coast Salish ancestry and represents a spindle whorl design. The spindle whorl, I feel, is the perfect metaphor for weaving together our worlds.

Bear

At first glance, a bear appears to be too large to be fast and ferocious. Lumbering around, they may choose to eat berries instead of hunting down a meal. When threatened, however, bears will not hesitate to show their other, more lethal, personality. Mothers, in particular, will fight tooth and nail to defend the life of her cubs. The last thing a threat may see is a curl of a lip, the swat of a paw and the flash of her claws.

Covered head to toe in protective gear, a hockey goalie lumbers out of the dressing room encumbered by huge pads and gloves. While they may not be able to cover a great deal of ice quickly, the net is an area that is rigorously defended. A goalie shows skill by falling to the ice or swatting the puck away with a poke check. Under attack the play is often ended with the raising of an arm and a flash of leather.

Andy Everson

Associated Box Set: Spirits of Snow and Ice Collection Box Set - Edition of 200