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Buyers'
Tips
How
to buy quality art
How to care for your art
How to buy quality art
Inuit
art commands international respect, and is probably
the best-known face of Canadian art on the world stage.
How carvers breathe life into their deftly hewn, beautifully
polished sculptures has fascinated collectors since
Inuit carvings gained world attention following the
1948 visit to the Arctic of Canadian art school graduate
James Houston, who subsequently made Inuit
art famous.
As
with all artwork, standards vary among artists. Here's
how to make sure you're purchasing quality that you'll
be happy with:
- Go
to a reputable gallery. Gallery staff are knowledgeable,
and they will have done the preselection work for
you.
-
Buy what you like, what appeals to you. Also
ask about up-and-coming talent whose work you should
be on the prowl for.
-
Beware department stores that sell Inuit art only
as part of a varied inventory. If selling art is not
their primary purpose, then you have to consider how
much time they've had to make prudent, informed art
acquisitions.
-
Look for balance and stability in a sculpture. Any
carvings having pieces pegged to a base must be properly
finished.
-
Make sure that additional materials used with stone
sculptures, such as whale bone, walrus ivory and antler,
are well-attached at the join. Wobbly tusks, for example,
are a no-no. Some pieces, however, may be intentionally
removeable to aid in the moving process.
-
Beware of scratches. Stone that is extremely soft
(such as soapstone) and shows many cracks is very
easy to break. On the other hand, remember that stone
is an organic material and has natural lines running
throughout.
-
Avoid repaired carvings, where a broken piece has
been glued back on to the original carving. Check
places where the stone is carved very thin - fins,
flippers, arms, legs, necks, ears, etc.
-
When shopping for prints, try to make sure that the
artist has used good paper and ask what the content
of the paper is. Acid-free paper is best. It should
be composed of 50 per cent "rag" (fibres
made from the liquid pulp of cotton, flax or linen,
silk or other natural fibre). Bear in mind, though,
that northern artists may not always have access to
such expensive paper. A good print on poorer quality
paper can still be conserved.
-
When purchasing art in Nunavut, closer to the source,
again start your journey by going to galleries. Become
acquainted with local work. If you do buy directly
from the artist, it's still a good idea to visit a
gallery beforehand so that you're familiar with the
retail price. Buying direct means the price may be
lower.
-
Authenticity: look for the artist's signature and
copyright mark on the base of the sculpture. The
Canadian government's Igloo Tag distinguishes
original Inuit art from imitations. It appears on
Inuit-made sculptures only -- and only in galleries.
Inuit material began to be copied in the early 1950s,
shortly after Inuit art was established on the market
(that's why it carries the term "Eskimo"
as in "Eskimo art." The word "Eskimo"
is no longer used in Canada to describe Inuit.) These
mass-produced items are made of plastic, ceramic or
"cast stone" and often carry a lower price.
The Igloo tag establishes only the authenticity of
a work. It's not an indication of artistic merit.
-
Be aware of the difference between Inuit art and Inuit-inspired
art. An inuksuk carving may not always be created
by an Inuit artist. This doesn't necessarily make
the piece a bad buy - but if you are under the impression
you're buying artwork made by an Inuk artist, you
will be disappointed.
How
to care for your art
Sculptures
-
Many stone sculptures are large, heavy and a bit tippy
because of their design. It's safest to display them
on a large flat surface, such as a low shelf. Avoid
placing sculptures on high shelves or pedestals. Vibrations
caused by large crowds or even children running around
could cause the sculptures to fall over or to "walk"
toward the edge of their display surface and fall
off.
-
It's natural to move large, heavy stone sculptures
by hoisting the sculpture waist-high and hugging it
close to your body. To avoid scratching the sculpture,
remove rings, watches, necklaces and belt buckles.
Handle with non-skid gardening gloves or latex gloves.
Don't use white cotton gloves -- they're too slippery.
-
Stone is one of nature's most durable materials, so
it's not critical that your sculpture be out of direct
sunlight. Remember, though, that if the sculpture
contains inlays of other material such as bone, ivory,
plastic or metal, that it should not be exposed to
high light levels.
-
Ivory carvings, on the other hand, can be very sensitive
to changes in relative humidity. Keep ivory carvings
out of direct sunlight. Don't place them on window
ledges near air vents where they would be subjected
to rapid heating/cooling cycles.
-
Clean your stone sculpture with a soft cotton cloth
that's devoid of lint. Old bedsheets torn into strips
make good dustcloths. If the surface of your sculpture
is very textured or has lots of crevices, use a watercolor
brush to dislodge dirt. With some modifications, you
can even use your vacuum cleaner: remove the brush
from the vacuum hose, attach nylon screening to the
hose opening with an elastic to prevent any loose
pieces from the carving inadvertently being sucked
up, and hold the hose a few centimeters away from
the sculpture to suck up dust as you brush.
Jewelry
-
Ivory, a common material in Nunavut-made jewelry,
can be very sensitive to changes in relative humidity.
Ivory absorbs or releases moisture with changing humidity,
swelling or shrinking. This can cause severe cracking
and warping, especially with thin ivory objects. Keep
your ivory jewelry out of direct sunlight.
-
Ivory yellows naturally. Don't attempt to bleach this
out - it's a natural patina.
-
Bone and antler are a bit more porous than ivory,
and do not react as quickly to changes in humidity.
They will, however, absorb more dirt, dust or liquids
if you happen to spill something onto them.
- Ivory,
bone and/or antler are often combined with silver
in jewelry. Silver tarnishes, but it's important to
polish judiciously, taking care not to get polish
on the ivory, bone or antler. Stay away from silver
dips if your silver jewelry also features bone, ivory
or antler - silver dips contain acid! Use a soft buffing
cloth to clean the silver. If that doesn't work, use
a mild abrasive product such as Twinkle™.
-
Some jewelry from Nunavut also contains additional
materials like rawhide or sinew. Keep water away from
these materials. Never apply oil or leather dressing
such as saddle soap.
Prints
-
Prints can fade if exposed to too much light. Keep
them out of direct sunlight. In fact, it's best to
install prints in darker areas. Don't use accent lights,
either, since these will cause fading, too.
-
Use an acid-free matt board with a glass cover.
Furs
-
Insects pose one of the main problems for maintenance
and storage of fur garments and crafts. Carpet beetles
and clothes moths especially prefer dark storage areas
where they aren't bothered.
-
Caribou fur tends to shed. No cure exists except to
minimize handling of the fur.
-
If your fur skin garments or crafts become inhabited
by insects, freezing is a relatively safe and effective
way to deal with the problem. Information as to how
best to do this safely, as well as advice on any other
conservation concerns you might have, can be obtained
from the:
Canadian Conservation Institute
1030 Innes Road
Ottawa ON K1A 0M5
Phone: (613) 998-3721
Fax: (613) 998-4721
E-mail: cci-icc_services@pch.gc.ca
Web site: www.cci-icc.gc.ca/
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