By Matthew Willis and Meghan Price
On March 16th, MOA will open the greatly anticipated exhibit on Doug Cranmer, Kesu’: The Art and Life of Doug Cranmer. Cranmer was a prolific artist who “whittled” and “doodled” in carving and painting in the Northwest Coast Kwakwaka’wakw style. Dr. Jennifer Kramer, the curator of the exhibit, has already released her book on Doug Cranmer which can be found in the MOA shop, but the MOA shop plans to have prints and images of Cranmer’s work for you to take home with you.
Right now, as of March 16th, the following two prints will be available:
Photo courtesy of Royal British Columbia Museum. RBCM 16635. Canoe by Doug Cranmer
Canoe originates from Doug’s series of abstract paintings and was selected to become this limited edition print. “Although Doug completed many of his paintings in one or two days, Canoe was the product of a lengthier and more meticulous process” (Kramer, Jennifer. The Art and Life of Doug Cranmer. University of Washington Press: 2012. p. 90). The print incorporates multiple views of the same canoe- including that of the log from which it was carved. Fah Ambers, who observed Doug paint Canoe said that “he had that thing right down to scale where you could take that print, if you had the guts to, and cut it up and actually make a canoe out if it”.
Photo courtesy of Royal British Columbia Museum. RBCM 16325. Untitled Painting by Doug Cranmer, referred to as "Ravens in Nest".
wanted to see it” (Kramer, 90). The original painting, along with several others from the series, was chosen over time to be reproduced as limited-edition prints.