Inuit Art Essay

In the present day, it is instinctive to express emotions and thoughts through the use of words due to the presence of well-known written languages. Yet, there exist other effective mediums including art and music that, although less commonly used, serve an equal purpose. In Inuit culture, it is art, rather than text, that is the prevalent medium for expression. This research paper explores the history of Inuit art and culture along with its evolution over time and analyzes the production of soapstone carvings by contemporary Inuit artists. The research paper begins with an introduction of ancient Inuit cultures of four successive periods along with the cultural changes resulting from each period; then, the contemporary Inuit culture is examined
However, he explains that the following Dorset Culture, settled in the Canadian Arctic and beginning around 700-500 BC, developed aesthetic artefacts with practical purposes, similar to the Pre-Dorset culture, but these artefacts were also artistically symbolic. He explains that artefacts, such as harpoon heads, in this culture depicted animals spiritually for use in rituals, and this was driven by the Dorset people’s beliefs that the art would attract spirits who will offer them help (2-3). Neil S. Price elaborates on Dorset art and its spiritual meaning in his book The Archaeology of Shamanism by explaining that artefacts made with artistic intentions consisted of carvings in mediums including soapstone, ivory, driftwood, antlers, and bones and that these included amulets and other objects which the Dorset people believed had magical properties and used for purposes such as hunting and rituals. Price specifies that many carvings portrayed humans and animals of the Arctic for spiritual purposes. He identifies the theme of these carvings as the spiritual transformation between a human and animal form, especially regarding flight. Price explains that transformation is suggested in Dorset art through the