Self Portrait Notecards

Marvin Oliver, of Quinault and Isleta-Pueblo heritage, was one of the leading contemporary printmakers and sculptors in the Pacific Northwest. Over his long career, Oliver worked in a variety of media including cedar, bronze, steel and glass. His efforts and artwork have been instrumental in the development and recognition of Native American Contemporary Fine Art. Born in 1946, Marvin Oliver passed away in 2019.

The most important of all creatures to the Northwest coast Indian peoples was the Raven. He took many forms to many peoples -- the Transformer, the cultural hero, the trickster, the Big Man. Full of magical powers, the Raven could transform himself into anything. He put the sun in the sky, the fish in the sea, the salmon into the rivers. His antics were often motivated by greed, and he loved to tease, to cheat, to woo, and to trick.

Long ago, by the mouth of a great river, lived an old chief and his only daughter. It was said that the old man kept the sun hidden away in a box. Raven wanted to have this sun and had tried to get it many times without success. At length he hit on a plan. He noticed that the daughter went to the well every day for a supply of water, so he transformed himself into a pine needle, dropped into her drinking water and was swallowed. She became pregnant and in due time he was reborn as the chief's grandson. Thus he gained access to the house.

Raven became a great favorite with the old chief who let him have anything he asked for. One day he asked to play with the sun box, but this the old man refused to grant. Raven gave him no peace, and finally, weary of his whining, his grandfather let him play with it. The Raven quickly took the box and rolled it about until he had it outside. Then dashing the box to pieces, he took the sun in his beak and placed it in the sky, where it has been giving light to the world ever since.