This blog is devoted to my art of wood carving and my culture. I am Haida and Nisga'a and a Pacific Northwest Native artist. I chronicle my art and culture and try to sell my art along the way! Contact me at Nisgatotempole@hotmail.com
ルークパーネル西の海岸、アーティスト、木製彫刻、トーテムポールメーカー、ハイダ語ニスガ族インディアン

Tuesday, July 6, 2010

52 Technician of the sacred

Creating this work has brought me to places I didn’t know I would go. The first figure was created with a neutral gaze, very safe, very… academic. If you remember, I plan to create each figure with a different facial expression, the expressions will range from subtle to extreme. The next figure I created was angry face and I have to admit, I found it unnerving. I should have known that in creating emotion I would cause an emotional response, especially within myself.

In the book “Bird of Paradox”, Wilson Duff coined the phrase “Technicians of the sacred”, he was describing carvers. I interpreted that statement as the creation of new artefacts rather than art. I disagree with respect and have always battled the idea that carvers do not create contemporary art. So much so that when I had a solo show, I titled it “Technician of the Split - U”(the split U being a design element of NWC carving).

With 52 if feel like I’m going to an emotional place I’ve never gone before, I came close with the mask “Disturbed” , that was more personal than spiritual. I created each of the figures to go in small acrylic boxes and when I placed the two finished figures in the boxes I was left with an uneasy feeling, like I had created something sacred. My overactive imagination is a part of being a creative person, so I can deal with the occasional craziness of creation. however, I will need to look at different ways of reading this work, because my uneasiness is holding me back a little.