Totemic

In Alaska and Canada, I looked at a lot of First Nation totem poles. Each is beautiful and unique. I also saw the work of the great, Bill Reid, a comtemporary carver. The color photograph is of is of his sculpture, Raven and The First Men at the UBC Museum of Anthropology. It depicts part of a Haida creation myth. The Raven represents the Trickster figure common to many mythologies. The totem poles also led me to think about the treatment of First Nation Peoples, and led me to support this project on Kickstarter, the Survivors Totem Pole. They need less than $907.00 to finish the pole and make a base for it. The master carver is Skundaal (Bernie Williams), from the Haida and Coast Salish Nations. She is the only female apprentice of the late master Haida carver, Bill Reid. I am glad the tradition of totem poles is still alive.

everywhere is anywhere is anything is everything

This blog title was the title of a really wonderful Douglas Coupland show I saw at the Vancouver Art Gallery. His work addresses Canadian culture, language, and the presence of technology in modern life. He also has a whopping sense of humor. Some of my favorite works are made with what we might call upcycled or recycled materials. This is a foreign concept in northern Canada where everything is used and reused in a variety of ways—it is just business as usual. Go Canada!

Arcana / Carrie Moyer

You only have a week left to run down to CANADA at 55 Chrystie St (between Hester & Canal) to see this great show. The surfaces of the paintings are truly beautiful and... Carrie is one of the most interesting painters I know.