#63 • Rie Muñoz "Reindeer Roundup" Bon à Tirer Proof c.1981

Part of The Works of Rie Muñoz Art Auction (timed auction by Alaska Premier Auctions & Appraisals)

High bid $190.00

Status: Sold

Category: Art

A signed proof by Alaska artist Rie Muñoz entitled "Reindeer Roundup" and marked "bon à tirer" or "approved to print". The image depicts villagers on Nunivak Island as they form a human funnel to help herd the stampede of reindeer into a large corral. This piece was inspired by the artist's stay on Nunivak Island in 1962 after being hired by the Bureau of Indian Affairs to sketch the reindeer roundup; she and her son stayed for a month on the 40-square mile remote island. Sixteen reindeer were first brought to Alaska from Siberia in 1891 to provide meat for Native villages. At one point, the herd had grown to about 24,000, with another 950,000 caribou roaming free in Alaska. Reindeer and caribou are the same beast, but a reindeer is a caribou that has been domesticated. When it was time to roundup, six runners and a dog would go by foot to break off 1000-2000 reindeer and herd them back to the village. The villagers would meet the herders and reindeer at the opening of a large corral, making a human extension of the entrance which fanned out quite a distance, and as a result, the thousands of reindeer would stampede into the corral. Alaska has had a long history of reindeer herding, particularly in western and northern Alaska where herds became both an economic resource and cultural fixture for many Indigenous communities. The print is accompanied by a note from the Rie Muñoz Gallery that reads "The Bureau of Indian Affairs commissioned Rie Muñoz to go to Nunivak Island in the Bering Sea in 1967 to document the annual reindeer roundup. The 12 or so B&W drawings hang in the Juneau Federal Building downstairs lobby." As marked, this version is the final, artist-approved proof in printmaking that acts as the standard for an entire edition. It signifies authorization for the printer to proceed, with all subsequent prints compared against this master for quality control; an additional note from the artist reads "but using grey paper", and registration ink marks are visible in multiple places. Lower left is a fun addition of Rie's black and white dog, Buddie Pierre. Signed, and dated by the artist c.1981, lower right. Shrink-wrapped on board measuring approximately 18" x 27" with a sight view of 16.5" x 25".