Salmon

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.

Salmon
It is simply amazing to watch salmon swim upstream. They are propelled forward by an instinctive need to return to the place of their birth. Entering fresh water, they undergo a physical transformation and begin their final journey home. They fight against the river’s current meter-by-meter, inch-by-inch. They travel up ladders and over rocks until they finally reach their destination. In a closing act of ecstasy, they fulfill the circle of life.

Cross-country skiers are also amazing to watch. Drawing forth an inner energy, they are able to endure physical pain in order to move forward. Gliding over the snow, they inch toward the end of their run. From training runs to loppets to international competition, these athletes do what it takes to travel up hills and down valleys only to cross the finish line in ecstasy that the pain is over and their job is done--for now.

Andy Everson

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