Portrait of an Eagle Transforming is a prime example of Robert Davidson's ultra-modern, abstract take on traditional Haida design forms. This print depicts an Eagle (Davidson's family crest) appearing to melt and transform into a human figure which encircles it. Davidson had this to say about his inspiration for and intention with the print:
"I was invited to participate in the 1989 mask exhibition at the Inuit Gallery and had the large 'Salmon Mask', which I had decided to retain for the feast Every Year the Salmon Come Back and for the permanent regalia of the Rainbow Creek Dancers. The gallery agreed to include the mask in the catalogue and in the exhibition for display only. I was designing a print and I decided it would be a print with a mask title, and pretended that it was a mask."
"I always think that we gain a little more knowledge of ourselves over time and we are always in a state of transformation. Sometimes the process is fast and sometimes it is slow."
-Robert Davidson
This is a silkscreen print produced in 1989, and measures 41" high by 29" wide. We have edition number 25 from a limited run of 50.