Post by blackcrowheart on Jul 3, 2008 12:47:59 GMT -5
Carving, art yields expression
'Watch out for the cars'
Posted: June 25, 2008
courtesy Erica Chatelain/Bottom photo courtesy Eric Schweig -- Eric
Schweig, Inuk, began carving at an early age and refined his scope
toward the traditional masks of his ancestors, the Inuit. He hand-carves
the masks from the red cedar of Vancouver, British Columbia. Carving,
art yields expression
CANASTOTA, N.Y. - Eric Schweig, Inuk, isn't shy. He's not afraid to
share his opinion. His ability to not block that expression is shown
with his skill of carving.
Carving was a gift he acquired at an early age. It started as a love
that was nurtured into adulthood.
Schweig studied traditional Pacific Coast carvings before refining this
scope toward the traditional masks of his ancestors, the Inuit. He
hand-carves the masks from the red cedar of Vancouver, British Columbia.
''I've been doing it my whole life, since I was a kid, just because it
was the most organic form of expression that I could think of.''
Schwieg explained how he and his clients conceptualize a mask.
''It's art. You can do anything with it. It doesn't matter. ... It's
open to interpretation. It's alchemy. You make something out of nothing.
It just depends on what I want to do, or what I feel like doing, or what
a client feels like doing, or your state of mind. Whether you're happy,
sad or angry; whether the client's happy, sad or angry. It just depends
on what he or she wants, or what you want. You can do anything. It's
wide open. It's freestyle and it's wide open. So, there's no one way to
design something. Absolutely no [limitations].''
The masks can take up to a few months to complete, depending on the
level of intricacy. He said that while the colors used can symbolize
different things, they're often chosen because they hold special meaning
to the client.
''It's usually open to interpretation. If somebody wants something done,
I'll usually get a color swatch from them and then I'll go to an art
store and I'll match it, and that'll be it.''
His signature style includes a certain distinction.
''To me, the only thing that sort of sticks out that I like is contrast.
That's why I always put a white base coat on everything. So anything I
put on top of that is going to pop out.''
Schweig recently received an honorary doctorate in education from
Nipissing University in North Bay, Ontario.
''That's like a once in a lifetime thing. It was cool. And it was so
nice, everybody was so nice. The graduates were polite and
accommodating. ... It was a really classy event and I was glad to be a
part of it.''
Schweig told Indian Country Today the words of wisdom he shared with the
graduates.
''Creativity is the building blocks of intelligence. And when they're
given the chance to incorporate as much of that alchemy and creativity,
there's a sort of sense of originality in their schoolwork. Because
right now, the reason why everybody is stupid - and everybody is stupid
- is because the education system is more preoccupied with teaching kids
what to think instead of how to think. And when you teach kids how to
draw or let them express themselves through art, they develop their own
sense of individuality and identity and then they're able to form their
own thoughts and opinions about a number of issues on a number of
different levels.
''But, the education system ... is more interested in getting kids in
line, pay attention to the rules, watching the stoplights instead of the
cars. If I had kids ... I'd want them to watch out for the cars, not the
stoplights, because stoplights fail, but your eyes don't.''
In addition to being an artist, he's an actor, musician, and a volunteer
representative and motivational speaker for street outreach. He appears
throughout North America speaking to indigenous, American Indian and
First Nations youth about suicide prevention, alcohol abuse and
adoption, among other things.
He also wanted to prepare the graduates for the world they're about to
enter.
''I was trying to tell them from an outreach point of view, that the
kids they're going to see, they're going up to some really troubled
communities. ... They're going to run into some of the areas in Canada
where the socioeconomic conditions of indigenous people up there are
horrific. It's the bottom of the barrel and that's where they're being
sent.
''A lot of those kids that are graduating don't have any life
experience, so they don't know. When they get thrown curve balls or fast
balls or drop balls, they don't know how to hit them. They're going to
back off the plate. They might not know how to handle that and they need
to be prepared.''
For more information on his masks, or to book a speaking engagement,
contact Michelle Shining Elk at (818) 302-6122 or
michelleshiningelk@gmail.com
'Watch out for the cars'
Posted: June 25, 2008
courtesy Erica Chatelain/Bottom photo courtesy Eric Schweig -- Eric
Schweig, Inuk, began carving at an early age and refined his scope
toward the traditional masks of his ancestors, the Inuit. He hand-carves
the masks from the red cedar of Vancouver, British Columbia. Carving,
art yields expression
CANASTOTA, N.Y. - Eric Schweig, Inuk, isn't shy. He's not afraid to
share his opinion. His ability to not block that expression is shown
with his skill of carving.
Carving was a gift he acquired at an early age. It started as a love
that was nurtured into adulthood.
Schweig studied traditional Pacific Coast carvings before refining this
scope toward the traditional masks of his ancestors, the Inuit. He
hand-carves the masks from the red cedar of Vancouver, British Columbia.
''I've been doing it my whole life, since I was a kid, just because it
was the most organic form of expression that I could think of.''
Schwieg explained how he and his clients conceptualize a mask.
''It's art. You can do anything with it. It doesn't matter. ... It's
open to interpretation. It's alchemy. You make something out of nothing.
It just depends on what I want to do, or what I feel like doing, or what
a client feels like doing, or your state of mind. Whether you're happy,
sad or angry; whether the client's happy, sad or angry. It just depends
on what he or she wants, or what you want. You can do anything. It's
wide open. It's freestyle and it's wide open. So, there's no one way to
design something. Absolutely no [limitations].''
The masks can take up to a few months to complete, depending on the
level of intricacy. He said that while the colors used can symbolize
different things, they're often chosen because they hold special meaning
to the client.
''It's usually open to interpretation. If somebody wants something done,
I'll usually get a color swatch from them and then I'll go to an art
store and I'll match it, and that'll be it.''
His signature style includes a certain distinction.
''To me, the only thing that sort of sticks out that I like is contrast.
That's why I always put a white base coat on everything. So anything I
put on top of that is going to pop out.''
Schweig recently received an honorary doctorate in education from
Nipissing University in North Bay, Ontario.
''That's like a once in a lifetime thing. It was cool. And it was so
nice, everybody was so nice. The graduates were polite and
accommodating. ... It was a really classy event and I was glad to be a
part of it.''
Schweig told Indian Country Today the words of wisdom he shared with the
graduates.
''Creativity is the building blocks of intelligence. And when they're
given the chance to incorporate as much of that alchemy and creativity,
there's a sort of sense of originality in their schoolwork. Because
right now, the reason why everybody is stupid - and everybody is stupid
- is because the education system is more preoccupied with teaching kids
what to think instead of how to think. And when you teach kids how to
draw or let them express themselves through art, they develop their own
sense of individuality and identity and then they're able to form their
own thoughts and opinions about a number of issues on a number of
different levels.
''But, the education system ... is more interested in getting kids in
line, pay attention to the rules, watching the stoplights instead of the
cars. If I had kids ... I'd want them to watch out for the cars, not the
stoplights, because stoplights fail, but your eyes don't.''
In addition to being an artist, he's an actor, musician, and a volunteer
representative and motivational speaker for street outreach. He appears
throughout North America speaking to indigenous, American Indian and
First Nations youth about suicide prevention, alcohol abuse and
adoption, among other things.
He also wanted to prepare the graduates for the world they're about to
enter.
''I was trying to tell them from an outreach point of view, that the
kids they're going to see, they're going up to some really troubled
communities. ... They're going to run into some of the areas in Canada
where the socioeconomic conditions of indigenous people up there are
horrific. It's the bottom of the barrel and that's where they're being
sent.
''A lot of those kids that are graduating don't have any life
experience, so they don't know. When they get thrown curve balls or fast
balls or drop balls, they don't know how to hit them. They're going to
back off the plate. They might not know how to handle that and they need
to be prepared.''
For more information on his masks, or to book a speaking engagement,
contact Michelle Shining Elk at (818) 302-6122 or
michelleshiningelk@gmail.com