Artwork copyright Fox Spears. Photo courtesy of the artist, 2023.

Artwork copyright Fox Spears. Photo courtesy of Washington State Arts Commission, by Jenn Cohen, 2023.

Untitled, “Basket Design” (Black Band), 2015

Fox Spears
(American | Karuk, born 1978)

Location: Ferndale High School, Ferndale

ABOUT THE ARTWORK

Fox Spears (Karuk) makes his monotype prints by pairing and layering geometric tribal patterns from Karuk baskets with organic shapes. The shapes normally reference landscape elements, like mountains or water. Spears describes the relationship that Indigenous people have with land as a way of existing in the world around them that is not about any specific physical location.

Monotype prints like this one are where Spears first began experimenting with geometric designs inspired by Karuk basketry patterns. Printmaking has been his most consistent medium during the 2010s. When starting a new series, Spears begins by looking at historical baskets for inspiration: “Each basket tells a unique story and is a memory from a way of life that has existed since time immemorial.”

Monotype prints are made by painting directly onto a printing plate, and then transferring that onto paper or another surface. Only one print can be made from the plate.

This artwork is part of a curated collection by Tami Landis in September 2023 for Ferndale High School, in Whatcom County, Northeastern Washington. The collection is rooted in a creative spirit of admiring and honoring our connection to the lands and sea of this region. The artworks also share a theme of diversity and inclusivity. They speak to all walks of life, in all seasons, and act as a symbol of welcoming for years to come.

This artwork was acquired for the State Art Collection in partnership with Ferndale School District.

ABOUT THE ARTIST

Fox Spears (Karuk) reinterprets traditional Karuk basketry designs into prints, paintings, drawings, and sculpture. His compositions reference geometric, organic, and landscape elements. He notes, "All the work I make is a deliberate continuance of Karuk culture. Regardless of my motives, the creation and presence of my art is an inherent act of resistance against colonial assimilation. My art is made with these intentions: to thank and honor my ancestors, to acknowledge and heal historical trauma, and to help build new Indigenous futures." The Karuk are one of the Indigenous peoples of Northwestern California.

Spears was born and grew up in Western Washington. He earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from Cornish College of the Arts in Seattle in 2010. He was based in Seattle until 2022 and now lives in Florida.