The first Cape Dorset portfolio of prints, released in 1959, introduced the concept of Inuit printmaking to southern Canada. Prompted by the curiosity of Cape Dorset artist Oshoweetuk “B”, and carried to fruition through the guidance of James Houston, printmaking became an established Inuit art form, first in Cape Dorset and later in other Inuit communities

Following the example of Cape Dorset, several brief attempts at printmaking were initiated at Baker Lake in the early 1960s however it wasn’t until the arrival of artists Jack and Sheila Bulter in July 1969 that a formal printmaking programme was established. The artists and printmakers organized the Sanavik Cooperative and released an annual collection of prints in the spring of each year.

In 1980, The Winnipeg Art Gallery had the privilege of purchasing the collection of 219 print-drawings dating from 1970 to 1976. This catalogue of the February 27 to April 17, 1983 exhibition presents a selection of these original drawings shown in juxtaposition to their companion prints. This juxtaposition allows the viewer to compare both works, taking note of the changes made in translating a particular graphic image from one medium to another.  Through this juxtaposition, minor, or at times radical, changes in terms of colour, texture and imagery become apparent.

Each of the artists and printmakers featured in the exhibition and this catalogue made significant contributions toward the development of Baker Lake prints. Yet the generic reference to ‘Baker Lake’ art often overlooks the distinctive styles of the 36 individuals who at the time comprised the Sanavik Cooperative. Thus, the works are grouped by artist rather than in chronological order. Due to space limitations, only 39 pairs of prints and print-drawings by 19 artists were included in the exhibit and in this catalogue.

Editor: Barbara Latocki

Copyright: The Winnipeg Art Gallery, 1982

ISBN: 0-88915-111-3

Softcover, 91 pages