Michael Mason stands beside one of his latest paintings, called Traditional Unity. Photo by Dan Davidson

Mason Explores the Circle of Life

by Dan Davidson

Michael Mason may have been shy about showing off his art, and worried about how it would be received after a poor first showing a few years back, but there was nothing that could have made the Dawson City artist unhappy about his late February exhibit at the Dänòja Zho Cultural Centre.

Mason was all smiles as he watched the crowd in the main display room grow to about 45 people. He had over a dozen canvases on display for his “Spirit of the Chandindu River” exhibit, and the interest shown his intricate single line paintings was quite keen.

These detailed paintings actually do begin and end with the same line, which weaves intricately around the canvas, delineating wolves, moose, salmon, ravens, eagles, mountains, rivers and the circle of life itself.

“I put my pencil on the paper and don’t take it off. it comes back to the same point where it started. I’ve been asked where I started on some of my paintings and I don’t know.”

In some ways he thinks of that single line as actually moving from painting to painting, and several times suggested that all of his 300 or more works could actually be put together to make one gigantic mural.

He’s been discouraged many times over the years, and would have quit painting many times if not for the encouragement of his friends and relatives.

In his slide show Mason showed the audience the development of his work during the last ten years, going back to his first paintings in 1995. He admits that part of his inspiration was the Haida designs he saw on a trip to British Columbia which was funded by an artist’s grant.

He says he challenged himself to take something of that style and adapt it to his own purposes in order to express himself, his land and the stories of his people, the Hän Nation of the Tr'ondëk Hwëch'in.

He sees the single line aspect of his work as being unique and expressive of his culture.

“This, to me, symbolizes the Hän Nation and the Elder’s Stories. Our ancestors’ beliefs and knowledge are necessary for our children’s tomorrow so the future generations may be forever together and connected with the whole world as one nation under god the creator.”

Mason has been making art from his sense of heritage for a number of years, and was known for his work in bone and antler long before people were aware of his painting. For many years be believed himself to be a member of the Crow clan and that image dominated his work.

“I did a bunch of carving and I did a lot of crows,” he told his audience. I wore a necklace for years and never took it off.”

Only recently has he learned that he is actually of the Wolf clan, but he figures he must have known that at some level, because wolves have been a prominent feature of his artwork.

Also prominent is the cross-like image of the circle of life, which Mason is quick to emphasize represents the four directions and nature, rather than being an image related to the Christian church.

“It was a hard thing for me to put that in there,” he said, “given the Mission School situation and such. It’s a touchy subject.”

It was necessary, however, to include this image of nature and all that comes from it: food, shelter, culture and identity.

The paintings are multilayered as well; some of the lines which seem to mark features in the main image actually turn out, on closer examination, to be images on their own. The detail work on an antler reveals itself as a dog team mushing. An image of a salmon turns out to also be a bear when you reverse the figure/ground perception.

Mason has also showed his work to students from the Robert Service School and was energized by their reaction to it, especially that of the Grade 3 class, whose members made him drawings and sent them along on the night of his opening show.

Some months back Mason walked up to Dänòja Zho event planner Glenda Bolt and asked about putting on a show.

“I have art,” she recalls him saying.

“I have a building,” she replied.

The marriage of the art and building will continue until March 24. The show is open Monday to Friday, 1 to 4 PM.

Winter golf now a Dawson reality

By Chris Beacom

The Dawson Golf Association is looking for a winter home.

DGA president Irwin Gaw says the association needs a permanent place to set up its virtual golf machine.

“Procuring this tool is great for Dawson’s golfers. It’s the closest thing we’re going to get to a game of golf for the next few months,” he said.

Duncan Spriggs a the virtual golf course. Photo by Chris Beacom

Gaw was ecstatic after a November chat between DGA members Duncan Spriggs and Wayne Potoroka resulted in Spriggs getting a hold of the Par T golf machine from Whitehorse.

“They just started talking and Duncan made a few phone calls. Next thing you know, Spriggs got a hold of a $30,000 machine.”

A new Par T golf machine costs $32,000.

However, not a cent was spent to get the machine from Whitehorse, where it has sat collecting dust for two years after the Golf Zone closed down.

The machine is owned by Elaine Smart, who allowed the DGA to take possession for six months until the group can figure out where to locate it permanently.

Currently, the machine is set up in Chris Mayes' garage on a temporary basis.

“We needed a place to work out the bugs and thankfully Chris has a big enough garage and a big enough heart,” said Gaw.

Virtual golf takes about two hours for two people to play 18 holes. Players hit a regular ball into a screen. A computer picks up the ball’s flight and projects its virtual image down the course.

Each shot has a new view of the green as the players move down the fairway, into the sand, or in the rough.

Players actually putt from a spot assigned to them by the computer.

The DGA is now working out a putting surface, sand trap and rough, so that the game will be as realistic as possible.

Players can book a time by calling Duncan Spriggs at 993-6109. Green fees are $10 a person, with money going towards the machine and heating.

“The more members we can get out to support this, the better we can make the game,” said Spriggs.

The golf machine’s camera, hitting surface and screen is housed inside a safe cage, similar to a batting cage, so no balls can escape. The cage is approximately 12 feet long, 10 feet wide and 10 feet high, allowing plenty of swing,

“And plenty of chances for the camera to pick up your slice,” said Gaw. “It’s quite accurate the way it can pick up on your bad shots as well as your good shots.”

The DGA needs an indoor, heated, in-town spot with washroom facilities and available to the public nights and weekends.

For more information, contact Spriggs at 993-6109.