Formline

The term formline refers to the continuous swelling and tapering lines that unite design units in Northwest Coast Indigenous art. It is one of the most distinct characteristics of Haida two-dimensional and three-dimensional art, painting as well as carving. Each nation has their own recognizable style with main design features like the ovoid, U-form, and tri-neg. The term Formline was coined by art historian Bill Holm in the 1960s which gave scholars, collectors, and Indigenous artists a vocabulary with which to discuss and appreciate the iconic art form.

“Formline is a visual language. It has been taught and developed by thousands of artists over many generations. It can be viewed as representational or abstract, positive or negative, literal or spiritual. Robert Davidson speaks of formline as a ‘skeleton’ that contains ‘energy fields,’ referring to the structure and pulse of the forms.” - From Echoes of the Supernatural: The Graphic Art of Robert Davidson by Gary Wyatt
17 items

Eagle Canoe Box
Richard Sumner (Kwakwaka'wakw)

Indigenous artwork on the Pacific Northwest Coast often incorporates figures and animals that are...

Indigenous artwork on the Pacific Northwest Coast often incorporates figures and animals that are related to crest symbols. Crests have been passed down through families and have varying meanings depending on the context and association with a nation, clan, or family. The figures depicted in contemporary Northwest Coast Indigenous artwork also have varying meanings but there are some common characteristics from a range of sources, including oral histories and artist descriptions. Eagle is an ...

$7,000.00

Abstract Earrings
Meaghan McRae (Gitxsan)

The term formline refers to the continuous swelling and tapering lines that unite design units in...

The term formline refers to the continuous swelling and tapering lines that unite design units in Northwest Coast Indigenous art. It is one of the most distinct characteristics of Haida two-dimensional and three-dimensional art, painting as well as carving. Each nation has their own recognizable style with main design features like the ovoid, U-form, and tri-neg. The term Formline was coined by art historian Bill Holm in the 1960s which gave scholars, collectors, and Indigenous artists a voca...

$250.00

Sea Monster
Robert Davidson (Haida)

1976Edition /238This print is only available framed.

1976Edition /238This print is only available framed.

$1,400.00

Guk Gee
Beau Dick (Kwakwaka'wakw)

1993Edition APThis print is only available framed as-is.This was the design of the 'Namgis Big Ho...

1993Edition APThis print is only available framed as-is.This was the design of the 'Namgis Big House in Alert Bay, BC.

$2,000.00

Xhuwaji - Haida Grizzly Bear
Bill Reid (Haida)

1990 Edition /300 This print is only available framed. Indigenous artwork on the Pacific Northwe...

1990 Edition /300 This print is only available framed. Indigenous artwork on the Pacific Northwest Coast often incorporates figures and animals that are related to crest symbols. Crests have been passed down through families and have varying meanings depending on the context and association with a nation, clan, or family. The figures depicted in contemporary Northwest Coast Indigenous artwork also have varying meanings but there are some common characteristics from a range of sources, includ...

$4,000.00

hlGed sda sGwaansang (Two Working Together)
Robert Davidson (Haida)

Edition /49 Available framed for $3,100 CAD. Please contact the gallery directly.   hlGed sda sGw...

Edition /49 Available framed for $3,100 CAD. Please contact the gallery directly.   hlGed sda sGwaansang means "closely related" or "two working together" and references a bow and arrow.

$2,500.00

Haida Eagle
Bill Reid (Haida)

1978 Edition /195 Indigenous artwork on the Pacific Northwest Coast often incorporates figures an...

1978 Edition /195 Indigenous artwork on the Pacific Northwest Coast often incorporates figures and animals that are related to crest symbols. Crests have been passed down through families and have varying meanings depending on the context and association with a nation, clan, or family. The figures depicted in contemporary Northwest Coast Indigenous artwork also have varying meanings but there are some common characteristics from a range of sources, including oral histories and artist descript...

$2,800.00

Haida Thunderbird
Bill Reid (Haida)

1981 Edition 170/195 This print is currently unframed and is available framed for $5,100 CAD. Ple...

1981 Edition 170/195 This print is currently unframed and is available framed for $5,100 CAD. Please contact the gallery directly. Indigenous artwork on the Pacific Northwest Coast often incorporates figures and animals that are related to crest symbols. Crests have been passed down through families and have varying meanings depending on the context and association with a nation, clan, or family. The figures depicted in contemporary Northwest Coast Indigenous artwork also have varying meani...

$4,500.00

Wintertime
Robert Davidson (Haida)

2015 Edition /75 Available framed for $2,000 CAD. Please contact the gallery directly. The origin...

2015 Edition /75 Available framed for $2,000 CAD. Please contact the gallery directly. The original painting to this print edition appears in “Robert Davidson: Abstract Impulse” which is the accompanying book to the exhibition that took place at both the Seattle Art Museum and the National Museum of the American Indian, in 2014. The painting is described on page 80: "Haida life has for generations been dominated by the seasonal rounds of available foods, most of which are preserved in spring,...

$1,500.00

Wiid
Robert Davidson (Haida)

2013This piece is stored off-site. To arrange a viewing, please contact the gallery directly.The ...

2013This piece is stored off-site. To arrange a viewing, please contact the gallery directly.The Wiid is a bird that only appears when the salmonberries are ripening on Haida Gwaii. The bird is here reduced to the small head at the upper portion of the composition. The flower of the salmonberry might be alluded to in the white cross-shape against the blue. Formally, the work is a precise balance of a series of tensions and releases. The pressure seen in the compressed white tri-neg defined by...

$100,000.00

Negative Eye Positive Eye No. 1
Robert Davidson (Haida)

2011This piece is stored off-site. To arrange a viewing, please contact the gallery directly.This...

2011This piece is stored off-site. To arrange a viewing, please contact the gallery directly.This painting, and its pair, Negative Eye Positive Eye No. 2, are recent works from Haida artist Robert Davidson and both were included in his solo show "Robert Davidson: Progression of Form" which took place in the summer of 2015 at the Gordon Smith Gallery of Canadian Art. The show focused on Davidson's most recent pieces, featuring his more abstract work. From the Exhibition catalogue, Davidson sta...

$55,000.00

Haida Grizzly
Bill Reid (Haida)

1973 Edition /600 Available framed for $3,100 CAD. Please contact the gallery directly. Indigen...

1973 Edition /600 Available framed for $3,100 CAD. Please contact the gallery directly. Indigenous artwork on the Pacific Northwest Coast often incorporates figures and animals that are related to crest symbols. Crests have been passed down through families and have varying meanings depending on the context and association with a nation, clan, or family. The figures depicted in contemporary Northwest Coast Indigenous artwork also have varying meanings but there are some common characteristi...

$2,600.00

Haida Beaver T'sing
Bill Reid (Haida)

Edition /195 This print is only available framed as-is. Indigenous artwork on the Pacific Northwe...

Edition /195 This print is only available framed as-is. Indigenous artwork on the Pacific Northwest Coast often incorporates figures and animals that are related to crest symbols. Crests have been passed down through families and have varying meanings depending on the context and association with a nation, clan, or family. The figures depicted in contemporary Northwest Coast Indigenous artwork also have varying meanings but there are some common characteristics from a range of sources, includ...

$3,200.00

Kugann jaad Giidii - Child of Mouse Woman
Robert Davidson (Haida)

2016 Edition /71 Available framed for $2,300 CAD. Please contact the gallery directly. The origi...

2016 Edition /71 Available framed for $2,300 CAD. Please contact the gallery directly. The original to the print "kugann jaad giidii" - Child of Mouse Woman, was an acrylic painting on canvas that was featured in Robert's exhibition, Abstract Edge, which opened at the Museum of Anthropology in 2004 and toured across Canada to various locations. Mouse Woman is known throughout the Northwest Coast under different names, and is sometimes represented in the art of Bill Reid and Robert Davidson i...

$1,500.00

Bird in the Air
Robert Davidson (Haida)

2016 Edition /72 Available framed for $3,100 CAD. Please contact the gallery directly. The origi...

2016 Edition /72 Available framed for $3,100 CAD. Please contact the gallery directly. The original to the print, Bird in the Air, is an acrylic painting on canvas that was part of Davidson's 2013 show, Abstract Impulse, which showed at the Seattle Art Museum and then traveled to the Smithsonian in New York City. Indigenous artwork on the Pacific Northwest Coast often incorporates figures and animals that are related to crest symbols. Crests have been passed down through families and have v...

$2,100.00

Raven Moon Mask
Reg Davidson (Haida)

Indigenous artwork on the Pacific Northwest Coast often incorporates figures and animals that are...

Indigenous artwork on the Pacific Northwest Coast often incorporates figures and animals that are related to crest symbols. Crests have been passed down through families and have varying meanings depending on the context and association with a nation, clan, or family. The figures depicted in contemporary Northwest Coast Indigenous artwork also have varying meanings but there are some common characteristics from a range of sources, including oral histories and artist descriptions.Raven is one ...

$8,000.00