Red Salmon
Clarissa incorporated Tlingit formline and design elements into this contemporary piece depicting salmon. Clarissa completed this piece in 2005 and she is a member of the T’akdeintaan from Hoonah. She specialized in a variety of artforms including weaving, painting, sculpture, and music.
Salmon is a center piece of Tlingit culture making it possible for Tlingit people to develop their complex society and culture. There are five species of salmon, and they were all important in their own way and they had specific harvesting times that helped set the series of activities that Tlingits would have had to prepare for. These activities would happen through out the region that made up the Tlingit homeland though harvest times might vary dependent upon the salmon’s arrival time, and specific river.
Great homage was paid to the spiritual salmon people in gratitude and respect for all they provide for Tlingit people and for all they provided to all the other living creatures as well as for plants and forests.
Giclée print titled "Red Salmon," edition 4/299, depicting red abstract salmon highlighted with white and yellow on a blue, green ground. Made and signed by Clarissa Hudson, 2005.
Dimensions: 48.5 cm x 33 cm
Collection History: Formerly in the collection of R.E. Mansfield (1937-2007); donated to NMAI by R.E. Mansfield in 2007.