Dennis Shorty | Our Relations

Sep 24

Dennis Shorty
Our Relations

Focus Gallery, October 7 - 29, 2022

The exhibition shows a new body of work that took me about 12 months to complete. It is of carved soapstone sculptures mixed with moose and caribou antler and copper.

It was a challenge for me to work with soap stone and will further my artistic career and knowhow. The goal was to incorporate materials that are familiar to my current art practice like antlers, wood and copper and to introduce soapstone as an expansion upon my current sculptural practice.

In each sculpture there is a strong reference to my Kaska history, culture and traditional background. I explored a new facet of art-making through the use of a new material and different tools.

I am influenced by my childhood memories. All my teachings by my grandparents and parents are coming back to me. When I was taken away to attend residential school most of the traditional knowledge I was taught was lost. I used soapstone to explore a different way of telling my stories through rock carvings.

I like to inspire our youth and elders to start healing through our culture and traditions and our long time ago way of living.

I would like to bring back our elders teachings and encourage them to start their healing journey and I would love to encourage all to tell their own stories.

I worked with soapstone because I was inspired by John Sabourin, soapstone carver from Yellowknife, Bud Young soapstone sculpture carver from Whitehorse and Mark Preston my fellow artist friend, who encourages me to stick to my true Dena art style but to try a different medium like stone. I am very grateful for that.

I hope to encourage emerging young Yukon artists to preserve their culture through art and language.

Souga Sinla!
Dennis Shorty

DENNIS SHORTY is of Kaska heritage and has lived most of his life near Ross River, Yukon. By watching his grandfather and father carve traditional tools and toys, Dennis became interested in art. For him, making art is a spiritual path and a way to communicate with his ancestors. Carving natural materials, including copper, moose, caribou and deer antler, musk ox, sheep horn and wood, he achieves his refined and detailed imagery with the use of a variety of hand and power tools. Acknowledging their importance to the survival of First Nation people, Dennis carves animals to honour them. When depicting humans, he includes their animal totem to relate the work to the idea of transformation and legend. He utilizes natural pigment derived from cranberries, coffee or tea for accent colours to achieve the traditional Kaska colours such as red and blue; red is considered sacred, while blue represents the sky.

www.dennisshortyarts.com
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Dena Zuzah - Fairy Tree

"This piece honours the little people and their love shiny things."

Soap stone, moose antler, copper, sheep horn for dowel
7.5 x 6 x 3.25

Gudzih - Caribou

"My family used to tell me stories about when there were an abundance of caribous up here in the Kaska country. When they move my dad says it sounds like thunder up in the mountains and it looked like the mountain came alive. Nowadays you don't see that anymore."

Soapstone, caribou antler

9 x 9 x 5.5

Miszih and Gah - Owl and Rabbit

"The owl is my grandmother's spirit bird. They depend on rabbits to survive, they are connected."

Soapstone

8.5 x 9 x 3

Miszih and Gah - Lynx and Rabbit

"The Lynx is demanding on rabbits for their survival. When my dad used to do a trail with his snowshoes there always were a couple of lynx following him around also using his trail. Nobody was trapping them back then for their fur."

Soapstone, moose antler

7 x 7 x 2.75

Klackei - Bison

"According to my grandparents and parents there was the last one standing in the Grass Lake area in the Kaska territory. Some prospector passing through shoot him. With this piece I want to honour their return."

Soapstone

5.5 x 9.5 x 4.25

Tuhtzih - Loon

"The translation to English is water cryer. When they call they are calling for the wind, that's what my grandparents say."

Soapstone

5 x 7.25 x 1.25

Tsusah - Little Bird

"The little birds don't hold secrets, they are messengers. When they fly in a big flog they make a lot of noise it seems, but they are actually talking to each other. Birds don't lie, that's what my mom used to say."

Soapstone

3 x 4 x 2.75

Sas Dena - Bear Person

"This is a transformation of bears and signifies how close we used to be spirtually connected to animals a long time ago. We still have it but we need to connect with all."

Soapstone
7.5 x 4.5 x 3.25

Mesgah - Raven

"Raven Next - Mesgah Toh is a land/mountain formation around Ross River and its original name was for the area. It is also a symbol for one of the clan systems."

Soapstone
5 x 6.2 5 x 3

Esziyah - Swan and Grandfather

"My grandfather was spiritually connected to the swan. He used to have a medicine octopus bag hanging above his doorway in the tent."

Soapstone, moose antler, copper
6.75 x 5.75 x 3

Sahgotineh - Person Who Travels in the Spirit World Physically

"My great grandfather was a medicine man. He had the ability to travel with three grizzly bears in the spirit world and also fly with the golden eagles with a feather blanket. This piece is to honour him and the eagles."

Soapstone, moose antler
6.5 x 5.75 x 3