Totemic Project
I have been working on breaking out of a sometimes tedious way of designing imagery. This Totemic project may be a good opportunity to find new ways of working. Research was challenging as I searched for works that touched on some of my ideas. I found these totems from Oceana to have a fullness and solidity that could be drawn from.
An early 20th Century European Totemic Stone Sculpture, found while researching in the library, brought a more figural feel to this fullness while retaining some of the rigidity.
While in the library I also came across this totemic piece by metal sculptor David Smith. The figural element upon a plinth was similar to the above in that the plinth itself appeared to be figural while also being architectural. This allowed the separation of the figure from a gallery setting and creating a transition into the reality of the sculpture. This would be a good device for the work I intended.
This Nikondi Totemic Fetish had so much emotional impact that I wanted to borrow some of the elements that made it so viscerally powerful. Developing what the introduced elements might be that would lend power to the figure I intend will be a challenge I look forward to meeting.
Other Totemic Pieces I found will lend ideas, textures or structure to the work.
