#7
01.07.10
Puffin Mask (driftwood and pigment)
- Harry Shavings, Nunivak Island
Alaska boasts 8 of the 10 biggest islands in the United States. Nunivak Island, where this mask was carved and which is located off the western coast of Alaska within the Bering Sea, is 7th on that list. Only 200 Cup’ik Eskimo live there now, but there have been inhabitants of the island for more than a thousand years. They historically lived off walrus and loon, and other birds, using the skins, tusks, intestines, feathers – essentially everything, in keeping with the typical efficient and respectful native way. The Cup’ik still living on the island continue their traditional way of life for the most part, and now can hunt musk ox and caribou herds transplanted to the island.
I’ve never been to Nunivak, but I have been to St. Paul Island (one of the Pribilof Islands) within the Bering Sea, and also to Bethel on the western coast of Alaska in the Yukon-Kuskokwim delta region.
I’ve always marveled at the intricate ceremonial masks that they use in traditional dances. This one features a horned puffin which are amazing little birds found throughout western, southcentral and southeastern Alaska. They are known to dive deep for fish, and have a unique way of “swimming” with their wings while under water. Here is a photo I took of a puffin in flight off the coast of St. Paul Island. I spent more than 100 shots with my Nikon 8800 point-and-shoot to get this one image; so I hope you enjoy it!
Here is another horned puffin that I captured with my Canon Xsi in Seward, Spring 2009:
Back to the mask; it is one of the many hundreds, if not thousands, of Alaska Native artifacts and crafts displayed throughout the hospital where I have the pleasure to work. It’s like working in a museum, which can make the days much more interesting. This ceremonial puffin mask hangs in a hallway near the entrance to the cafeteria.
Back to the mask; it is one of the many hundreds, if not thousands, of Alaska Native artifacts and crafts displayed throughout the hospital where I have the pleasure to work. It’s like working in a museum, which can make the days much more interesting. This ceremonial puffin mask hangs in a hallway near the entrance to the cafeteria.
The photo was a real challenge mostly due to the glass box it resides within. Diminishing the light glare off the glass was tricky, and I couldn’t remove all of it. I “warmed” the photo on Photogene to get the white’s whiter; then increased the exposure for the same purpose. I cropped out the surrounding “debris”, and then increased the color saturation and contrast a little. Lastly I sharpened the image a titch. Overall I was pleased with the result.
Here is the original I had to work with. I hope you agree that it was improved upon:
Here is a non-processed close-up of the mask:
I chose 'To Live is to Fly', a Townes Van Zandt song performed here by the Cowboy Junkies, for the soundtrack to accompany today's post. This song morphs from a mellow, almost depressing tune into a vibrant and joyful affair. I felt an upbeat song was needed to honor the noble little puffin. Watching a puffin take flight and then dive into the sea is something to behold, and it never fails to make me smile.
I've been a big fan of the Cowboy Junkies alt-country/folk sound ever since their 2nd album 'Black Eyed Man' came out in 1992 (this song comes from that album). In fact, they were the first of many Canadian bands to catch my attention (now there are many such bands). Their entire collection is a Must Have in my opinion. I have a real thing for Michael Timmins' guitar and songwriting sensibilities; but it is his sister Margo Timmins' voice that draws me in to each and every song. Incidentally, brother Peter plays drums while Alan Anton plays the bass. I'm guessing the Junkies will make it in to several postings as the year progresses. The writer of this song deserves some mention, too. Townes Van Zandt is an icon of folk-country music spanning many decades. He died in the late 90's. The Junkies credit him as an major influence on their music. He, in turn, honored them by writing the song "Cowboy Junkies Lament" in the late 80's... so there was a lot of love going around between these folks.
One final note; I am absolutely thrilled to have had a reader suggest that I add a second music player to the blog that has a running list of all the songs I will be highlighting along the way. It will be an eclectic mix, for sure... but I'm flattered and honored just the same. Great idea, Thank you!
Until tomorrow... thanks for looking, listening and reading. CCE
Here is the original I had to work with. I hope you agree that it was improved upon:
Here is a non-processed close-up of the mask:
I've been a big fan of the Cowboy Junkies alt-country/folk sound ever since their 2nd album 'Black Eyed Man' came out in 1992 (this song comes from that album). In fact, they were the first of many Canadian bands to catch my attention (now there are many such bands). Their entire collection is a Must Have in my opinion. I have a real thing for Michael Timmins' guitar and songwriting sensibilities; but it is his sister Margo Timmins' voice that draws me in to each and every song. Incidentally, brother Peter plays drums while Alan Anton plays the bass. I'm guessing the Junkies will make it in to several postings as the year progresses. The writer of this song deserves some mention, too. Townes Van Zandt is an icon of folk-country music spanning many decades. He died in the late 90's. The Junkies credit him as an major influence on their music. He, in turn, honored them by writing the song "Cowboy Junkies Lament" in the late 80's... so there was a lot of love going around between these folks.
One final note; I am absolutely thrilled to have had a reader suggest that I add a second music player to the blog that has a running list of all the songs I will be highlighting along the way. It will be an eclectic mix, for sure... but I'm flattered and honored just the same. Great idea, Thank you!
Until tomorrow... thanks for looking, listening and reading. CCE
No comments:
Post a Comment