Sculpture
Southwestern
MESA RELIQUARY
Pueblo cultures such as the Hopi, Zuni and Acoma believe
that the first peoples of this world entered through the sipapu, the hole from which they stepped into the Fourth, or present world from three previous worlds, It is then that they changed from lizard-like beings into human form. From this point the "First Peoples" of the Earth began to divide and separate, becoming tribes. The original sipapu is said in Hopi and some other Puebloan belief systems,
to be located in the Grand Canyon.
In this piece I combined a beautiful juniper treasure box with a grouping of Hopi katsina figures. They have just emerged from darkness into the light of a new world. One can only imagine the elation of breathing in the air of new beginnings and the joy of feeling the warmth of sunlight.
I have seeded the drawers of the reliquary with various fetishes and pottery sherds, inviting the additionof personal treasures.
Dimensions: 13.5"h x 17"w x 13"d
DOG AND PONY SHOW
This piece is a joint effort with my daughter, Lesley. She sculpted the pony and dachshund and I came up with the idea of combining our work by adding a ball under the dachshund, a ring for all to rest on and a bulldog riding a unicycle.
Dimensions: 17"h x 11"w x 8"d
POSTCARDS FROM THE PAST
I have always been fascinated by the petroglyphs that are etched into stone walls all over the Southwest - in fact, throughout the world.
In this piece I chose a few images that I found in travels through Utah and Arizona. I created each one in wax which was then cast directly into bronze without the middle step of mold making. Thus, this is a one-of-a-kind piece.
Dimensions: 27"h x 17"w x 6"d
RAIN DANCE
"Through our dances we celebrate the renewal of our life pattern, ancient migrations, and a spiritual connection with our ancestral sites. This, together with our farming tradition, ties us both physically and ceremonially to our ancestral land, the sun and the cycle of the seasons". Hopi quote.
The Puebloan Hopi Tribe believes that snakes are like their brothers and so they rely on them to carry messages down to the underworld where the rain gods live, the immortal beings that bring rain, control other aspects of the natural world and society, and act as messengers between humans and the spirit world. These religious dances are closed to the public, but in this piece I have combined some of the katsinas from celebrations that are open to outsiders which include kochari clowns. With a deep respect for tradition, I created this piece as art - in no way expressing the rites or beliefs of others. In attending some Pueblo dances, I have been made to feel as a guest at the table of open hearted people who are kind enough to share those traditions that are not closed to the public. The sculpture includes six katsina figures and a kiva ladder mounted on a juniper bowl.
Dimensions: 8.5"h x 11"w x 11"d
SONGS OF ANCIENT WISDOM BELL
This piece is loosely based on the ancient nine-day Dine (Navajo) healing ceremony undertaken to relieve and sustain those stricken with disease, sorrow or loss. In a larger sense, this is meant to reharmonize and reorder the natural world. The songs that comprise this ceremony number many hundreds and are very potent and beautiful.
I have not intended to trespass in any way on beliefs or the beauty of ceremony - only to honor tradition and human awe in the wonder of the universe, and the intrinsic power of words.
Dimensions: 30"h x 17"w x 10"d
Happily, on a trail of pollen,
may I walk.
As it was long ago, may I walk.
May it be beautiful before me.
May it be beautiful behind me.
May it be beautiful below me.
May it be beautiful above me.
May it be beautiful all around me.
In Beauty may I walk,
In Beauty if is finished.
RAVEN SHAMAN
Because ravens are so intelligent, it is
easy to see why humans delight in observing them. In shamanic lore, Raven, as a totem bird, enables second sight, shape-shifting and healing.
Ravens are thought to have magical abilities an many cultures throughout the world. They have been called birds of prophesy, messengers to the gods and in the Pacific Northwest, Raven is the creator and bringer of light. Some native tribes refer to ravens as the "keepers of secrets". They are linked to the void, where universal secrets are kept.
Dimensions: 19"h x 11"w x 8"d
LAKOTA EFFIGY VESSEL
The Native American tribes of the Great Plains believed that invisible presences exist which could be contacted to bring harmony into their lives. Through vision quests, they sought to bring the supernatural and natural worlds into close contact. During a vision quest, the individual experienced a higher level of consciousness and might be visited by an animal spirit who then became his spirit guide throughout life.
Among the Lakota Sioux, the raven was a potent spirit guide - mummified birds were wrapped in ceremonial red flannel strips and placed with other meaningful symbols in a personal medicine bag.
Dimensions: 20"h x 12"w x 7"d
