Northern-based artist Looty Pijamini from Grise Fiord, Nunavut is another example of how Inuit artists might evolve in the future. Pijamini does not sell to the northern co-operatives or southern-based dealers, but relies on his reputation as a master carver to generate commissions for his work. His good business sense and a solid reputation allow him to make a living from his art. Looty explains that when he is in the process of carving, he experiences "freedom". Carving also gives him a chance to be his own boss and have his own hours. His self-expression not only helps him to achieve "freedom" in his daily live but it also provides financial assistance to his family. His creativity has a dual purpose, much like his art pieces. For example, Pijamini's favourite object to carve is the knife - a functional tool but through creative abstraction, Looty s knives transcends the original object by becoming an art piece. ----------------------Looty Pijamini: Katitagait SanaugaitBy: Heather CampbellInuit Art Centre2002Looty Pijamini working on a sculptureLooty Pijamini is a self proclaimed "born artist" who takes great pride in his work. This highly successful carver lives in the small community of Grise Fiord in Nunavut - the most northerly community in Canada. One of the most prominent artist in this community, Looty Pijamini does not receive support from an artist's cooperative. He works mainly from art commissions.I started out by selling my first carving to my teacher. I made whales that looked like they were surfacing on the water. You could see part of the head, torso and the flippers, and I got $12 for that piece. The second carving was sold for $14. I will always remember those two carvings that I sold. At that time there were only four white people in the community and my teacher showed the carving to the others and they all wanted me to carve for them. So that's how I got known from then on. (Heather Campbell, Interview with Looty Pijamini, 2003)Looty is a perfectionist when it comes to his technical skill, and works on a piece until it matches the image in his mind. As a child, his desire to carve led him to experiment with everyday materials at his disposal. In a recent interview with Looty, he recounted a memory of carving with readily available materials when his family lived near Clyde River.When we were in Cape Christen near Clyde River, my parents and my sisters used to ; to the dump and I picked up some hard grey bubbly insulation and carved it into shapes and that's how I started. I also carved snow while waiting for my father to finish building an igloo because I was too young to help at that time. (Campbell, Ibid)Looty was also inspired by the work of his ancestors. Much of his recent artworks are based on Inuit tools such as knives and harpoon heads.When I am out on the land I would find old harpoon heads and that's where I get my ideas from and I try to keep the tradition going the way they used to make them. I also learned by watching my father.(Campbell, Ibid)Looty's respect for his culture and the old ways of making cultural objects are apparent in his sculptures. As was the practice many generations ago, he decorates cultural implements with artistic elements. However, Looty pushes it further by adding another dimension to his works through personal insights. He refers to this practice as "having two meanings". On the surface the piece is an example of refined craftsmanship, but when you look deeper, you will find an added touch, inspired by Looty's creativity and subtle wit. Looty's sculptures are a combination of traditional carving and modern design techniques as seen in his assemblages of stone, bone, caribou antler, muskox horn, and ivory. As well as being self taught, Pijamini completed a diploma in jewellery making from the Nunavut Arctic College and incorporates metalwork in his art pieces, which further create a melding of traditional and contemporary materials and aesthetics.One of Pijamini's favorite objects is the knife. His knives are sought after by collectors throughout Canada, the United States and Europe. He transforms these Inuit cultural implements into examples of contemporary Inuit fine art. Not only does Looty strive for perfection in technical skill and form, but he also succeeds in adding a layer of symbolism and elements of self-expression to his works. A good example is the piece Prospectors' Knife (2003). The knife is a cultural implement, but Looty transforms it into a work of contemporary art. Looty's keen artistic sensibility is illustrated in his visually stimulating contrast between the soft slender branchlike arms of the antler, the natural texture of perforated bone and the skillfully executed, meticulously handcrafted knife handle and sheath with the image of a woman in an amauti crafted in polished silver. The woman is holding a gold nugget in her hand, and is the inspiration for the title of the piece Prospector's Knife. Looty stated that this is a conscious effort on his part to bring something extra to his work. It is something that elevates it from a fine craft to a true work of artistic expression.Looty's Narwhal Tusk (2003) also illustrates his characteristic amalgamation of traditional and contemporary ways of making art. As was most often the case in Thule carving, the piece has no discernable base or vantage point. It is carved in the round and is meant to be inspected from all angles. The carving of animals, fish, birds are arranged only through the artists aesthetic reasoning, without a conscious effort to tell a story or capture a single moment in time, as is the custom in most western European disciplines. But Looty embodies his knowledge of the southern art market in the choice of dimensions. Nomadic Inuit would not carve something as large for their own enjoyment. Looty's piece was not made by an Inuk for an Inuk. It was made to be sold to the southern market. It illustrates the combination of Inuit traditional skills with western art marketing skills.Looty explains that when he is in the process of carving, he experiences freedom. Carving also gives him a chance to be his own boss and have his own hours. His self expression not only helps him to achieve freedom in his daily live but it also provides financial assistance to his family. His creativity has a dual purpose, much like his art pieces. The knife is a household tool but it has become a form of visual expression in the hands of a gifted artist.Looty's creativity, ingenuity and business sense are illustrated in the piece NWT Power Corporation Kudliq ( 2001 ). Looty was commissioned to make a piece by the electrical company as a gift to their board of directors. Their only stipulation was that the company name had to be included in the piece. Instead of seeing this as a limitation or barrier to his creative vision or artistic license, he saw it as a point of reference from which to gain inspiration. He rose to the challenge and created a symbol of traditional Inuit energy consumption, the oil lamp or kudliq. For the Inuit, the kudliq was the only source of heat and light in an igloo, tent, or sod house. Now this sculpture of a kudliq would symbolize the contemporary electrical energy in the north, the Northwest Territories Power Corporation. The company name is visible in the flames of the kudliq. The piece was later featured on the cover of the Nunavut phone book. Some artists would shy away from commercial applications in thier work but Looty Pijamini embraces it to create bold and innovative works of art.Romanticization of Inuit culture is still prevalent today. The creative achievements of Looty Pijamini and his highly successful entrepreneurial skills allow us to see past the stereotypes of Inuit culture and Inuit art. As the former Deputy Minister of Indian and Northern Affairs R. Gordon Robertson said in 1960, "The romantics who say that Eskimos must start at the sky and create only what the spirits tell them with no references to commercial influences are just being unrealistic.and the Eskimo is a realist."Today's Inuit are bridging the gap between the old and the new. They are forging their path in today's society making their voices heard in the areas of politics, business, and arts. Looty Pijamini is a shining example of a self- sufficient Inuit artist who has worked diligently to make his artistic vision known."Katitigait Sanaugait loosely translates as, "Things I have made from pieces of many other things". Looty has made a successful career for himself by creating traditional forms and infusing them with modern interpretations from "pieces of many other things".Looty Pijamini's sculptures are a combination of traditional carving and modern design techniques as seen in his assemblages of natural arctic materials and metalwork.------------

Exhibitions

• Baffin Island Sculpture Exhibition, Baffin Regional School

Collections

• Prince of Wales Northern Heritage Centre, Yellowknife