Shaggy hair envelopes three dog-like creatures in this piece. Scriver’s creatures, done in black ink, are set-off against a fresh white background. While their forms are masked by hair, the physical presence of the creatures is affirmed by the soft shadows they cast. This image was inspired by Scriver’s visit to his brother’s community in northern Canada. Here, he was fascinated by how quickly domestic dogs turned feral when in groups.
This rendering, in its medium and treatment of subject, conjures up a cartoon fantasy world.
“Untitled” is aligned with work from Scriver’s “Imploder” (2005) and “weird woods” (2004) shows in which he engaged with narratives of northern Canada.