The War of the Blink
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June 2006Watercolour on 400 lb. paper184 x 142 cmPrivate collection - West VancouverThe War Of The Blink was displayed at the Vancouver Art Gallery from June 10th to September 17th, 2006, for the exhibition Raven Travelling: Two Centuries of Haida Art.
Story outline: A young man thirsty for glory convinces a Clan leader to launch an unprovoked attack on a distant village. One of that village's fishermen finds an unusual forest fly many miles offshore. Concerned that some danger is coming he returns home, but his efforts to convince his people are laughed at.
Believing an attack is imminent, he waits on guard alone in his canoe, falls asleep and is captured by the attacking Warriors. Meanwhile, second thoughts send the village out to check on him and surprises the attackers. Rules of engagement avert a battle when a fly appears between the two opposing Champions, causing one to blink.
Source: oral narrative - Haida.
As exhibited: Glenbow Museum - Calgary, Alberta, CanadaMedia Coverage
- Fluid Frames: The Hybrid Art of Michael Nicoll Yahgulanaas - Art in America, November 2, 2017
- Canadian Haida artist Michael Nicoll Yahgulanaas finds a home at the Met - The Globe and Mail, August 11, 2017
- Art Seen: Being serious about play is no joke for Michael Nicoll Yahgulanaas - The Vancouver Sun, April 29, 2016
- The Seriousness of Play by Michael Nicoll Yahgulanaas at the Bill Reid Gallery - Hello Vancity, April 24, 2016
- Michael Nicoll Yahgulanaas’s imagery speaks across cultures - The Georgia Straight, April 27, 2016
- Haida Roots Surface in Manga Art - Metro Vancouver, September 23, 2005
- Artist Combines Native Art, Japanese Comics - CBC News Online, September 25, 2003