Annotations of Initial Impressions, Observations and Reactions that Accompany the Sketch

Annotations of Initial Impressions, Observations and Reactions that Accompany the Sketch             

It is my first time glancing over Screaming Faces, and I already love the architecture of it. The sculpture is composed of a pile of hooded faces carved from grey stone, with white ivory eyes and teeth, nabbed in a noiseless scream (Akpaliapik, 1991). Manasiah Akpaliapik is one of the Canada’s most celebrated modern Inuit artists. In most of the paintings, Akpaliapik illustrates human connection to animals, Inuit legends and shamanism, as well as social issues threatening Inuit societies. He also integrates facets of his individual narrative, seeing carving a healing practice.             

Akpaliapik began to do sculpture by watching his grandparents and his aunt. At the age of 12 he was sent to a residential school in Iqaluit, where the Inuit language and customary traditions were banned (Akpaliapik, 1991). This had a deleterious effect on his career. Akpaliapik relocated to Montreal in 1980, and resume sculpting again, learning how to use new devices and media, and how to create complex detailing.             The sculpture exhibits shape, line and texture from the key attributes of art. Shape is depicted through the circle and oval heads of the sculpture. The line is depicted in the carving of the fingers and finer details of the faces (Akpaliapik, 1991). The texture is evidenced in the smooth stone carried throughout the sculpture. These are key facets that factor in the final sculpture. When I was analyzing the finer details of the art, I likened it to a comedy which was titled “This is How I feel about COVID,” albeit as I examined more about the artist, and began to examine the individual faces of the art, it became sad.             

When I think about the struggles native individuals of Canada have and continue to endure, it makes me feel tremendously emotional. I feel sad, irritated, and disenchanted. Being an African-Canadian female, I can relate to the challenges of segregation and racial inequality (Ryzik et al., 2020). Therefore, when I look at the screaming faces art, I reflect on the struggles depicted in minority faces, and I can desire is that the sculpture opens people’s eyes and inspires change (Ryzik et al., 2020). Looking keenly at the art you will see that the hooded faces are trying to scream as a form of venting their anger and rage over the issues they are currently facing or experiencing.             

I have had several creative experiences that I can extract from the art. The first one is the emotions that I got by looking at the facial expressions in the art, recalling some of the challenges that minority races have had to endure in Canada. The second creative aspect I drew from the screaming faces is recalling my niece who screams loudest while undergoing the tooth extraction process. Overall art can be analyzed in so many ways provided you love being creative in mind. 

References

Akpaliapik, M. (1991). Screaming Faces. Art Gallery of Ontario. https://ago.ca/collection/object/2001/277 

Ryzik, M. Morris, W. Murphy, M. Ugwu, R. Pierre-Antoine, L. Tillet, S. & Mitter, S. (2020, June 8). Art that confronts and challenges racism: starts here. The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2020/06/04/arts/racism-writings-books-movies.html