Parr

Parr, graphic artist, hunter (b on southern Baffin I 1893; d at Cape Dorset, NWT 3 Nov 1969). Parr led a traditional nomadic existence for most of his life. A serious hunting accident obliged him to settle permanently in CAPE DORSET in 1961, where he began drawing at age 68. In his short artistic career he produced over 2000 drawings and contributed 34 prints to the annual Cape Dorset print collections. Filled with animals and hunters and drawn in a distinctive, primitive style, with little regard for naturalism or perspective, Parr's naive images are powerful expressions of an old man's love for a disappearing way of life. Often considered crude and childish, his works were largely unappreciated during his lifetime. Only after his death were there major exhibitions of his work, and a posthumously published print, Hunters of Old, was selected for a 1977 Canadian postage stamp. See also INUIT ART.

Author INGO HESSEL