Parr 1893-1969: A Print Retrospective
Introduction by Terrence Ryan
oblong 8vo. 40. b/w illustrations. bibliography paperback (fine condition). [Cape Dorset, NWT]: Kingait Press, [1979].
First Edition, Limited to 2500 copies.
ISBN-10: 0969069219 / ISBN-13: 9780969069218
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Parr, Inuit graphic artist, hunter (born 1893 on southern Baffin Island; died 3 November 1969 in Cape Dorset, NWT). Filled with animals and hunters and drawn in a distinctive, direct 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.Life
Parr led a traditional nomadic existence with his wife Eleeshuse for most of his life; they had nine children together, several of whom themselves became artists. A serious hunting accident obliged him to settle permanently in Cape Dorset in 1961. In 1960, Terrence Ryan, a young art student trained at the Ontario College of Art, encouraged him to take up drawing, so he began to draw at age 68. He progressed from graphite pencils to coloured pencils and felt-tip pens. In his short artistic career, he produced over 2,000 drawings and contributed 34 prints to the annual Cape Dorset print collections.