Floyd Joseph drum design

floyd-joseph-ravenSigned in pencil 164/180 RAVEN CREATING THE GREAT FLOOD Floyd Joseph “94” Tyee. Serigraph on paper
Among the works of her own that Helen Andersen had stored were a few examples of works by other artists she admired. This beautifully crafted and realized Raven design by Floyd Joseph is one of them. See the frog and lobster shapes and the water motif, coming into being? Joseph’s work belongs to the great tradition of West Coast aboriginal art but he extends it, creating original icons, images and colour schemes.
I was visiting Saanichton when Floyd came over to Helen’s studio to choose some pastels he would exchange for serigraphs. I didn’t know Helen had this one, but we have long possessed another Floyd Joseph that we hang over our stairs. That design, too, was conceived to fit on the surface of a drum head.
Floyd was particularly interested in scenes Helen had rendered of North Vancouver shores, because he had grown up on the reserve there and remembered the way things were, as Helen had rendered them in the late 50s.

3 thoughts on “Floyd Joseph drum design

  1. hides are clean now, frames sanded. 2 drums drying.. 2 to go
    a raven wing stored in drum bag appeared again. nice timing.

  2. Of course I was thinking of you when I posted this one, Joni. Didn’t know about the raven wing, though.

  3. a couple of the drums around here have painted designs, yet most just get ‘pictures’ on them as they age.
    -more offers of hide
    -a couple more drums need some repair,
    so maybe things just needed brushing up a little.
    singing in the old growth still, since melting has puddles all around.
    i’ll be grateful to get back to music soon,
    yet ‘growing’ drums has been fulfilling and an honour.

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