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About the artwork and artist
Artist: Abraham Anghik Ruben
Title: Life out of Balance
This sculpture represents a time of great climatic change which took place in the arctic in the 12th and 13th centuries that led to the decline of Norse settlements and eventually total collapse. The climate of this region was warmer during the first centuries of settlement and became increasingly colder. This colder weather was known as “The Little Ice Age.” The land had been depleted of its natural resources that would be used to sustain their lives. The cooling of the environment made it more difficult to survive. This cooling created shorter summers so that the Norse could not grow sufficient hay to keep their animals alive during winter. They would try to hunt for seals to survive. When the seals did not arrive the Norse would starve. This collapse is represented by Sedna, the sea goddess, holding up the world in the form of an iceberg. The few remaining Inuit and Norse people stand and looking outward. This is a mirror to what is happening today.
Kipling Gallery
7938 Kipling Ave
Vaughan ON, L4L 1Z5
www.kiplinggallery.com