Robert Davidson (Haida/Canadian, b. 1946)
Identity
Limited edition cast bronze, edition 5/15, signed “RD”, 2006, mounted on a granite base
Provenance: James R. (Jim) Houston Estate
Size: 24 ⅝ h x 16 w x 3 ¼ d in
ZG19730
This sculpture derives from diptych of identical heads carved of red cedar and painted; the diptych is called “The Identicals” (2004). These profiles were inspired by the human faces carved on 19th century argillite panel pipes, their shallow depth recalling the proportions of the pipe’s carving.
The internationally renowned visual artist, carver and jeweller Robert Davidson is credited with a reawakening of the Haida culture after the 1969 carving and raising of the first pole in over a century. Robert Davidson is the subject of the film Haida Modern which was released in 2019 and the 1969 pole raising is the subject of the recent documentary film Now is the Time.