1998
Edition /125
This print is only available framed. Please contact the gallery directly.
The Gift serigraph was released in honour of, and to assist in raising funds for, a 1998 White Rock commission that was completed with Salish artist, Susan Point. The White Rock detachment of the RCMP approached Davidson about a possible totem pole commission to commemorate their 125th anniversary, as well as to recognize the strained history between the First Nations and the RCMP. Davidson suggested Salish artist Susan Point also design a pole, as White Rock is on Salish territory. Davidson carved the pole he designed and oversaw two Semiahmoo (Salish) apprentices, who carved Susan Point's design on the other. Both of these poles are still displayed at Totem Plaza at Lions Lookout Park, in White Rock.
The design of The Gift is representative of many of the elements that comprised the historic project. Depicted are two iterations of Eagle, with the figure on the right representing the Haida style and the figure on the left representing the Salish style. The combination of the design, as well as the line that bridges the two sides, symbolizes the bridging of cultures and the melding of two minds. Symbolically, Eagle represents guardianship, which Robert felt was reflective of the societal role of the RCMP.
