Tricky Times: The Ascent of the Trickster Spirit

Mixed media 36” x 40” $5000

I am a white woman. I have chosen to employ representations of Native American culture and art because, relative to the tribes and indigenous peoples, we are all immigrants.

Native American cultures across North America are all characterized by the presence of a trickster spirit. This spirit frequently embodies chaos, destruction (sometimes creative), greed, excess, lust and all of our bases instincts. Its presence is frequently used to convey tales with a moral twist. Hence, the trickster spirit can bring positive change out of the chaos it creates.

“Tricky Times: the ascent of the trickster spirit,” is my statement regarding the times we find ourselves living through. Our political leaders embody the worst of the trickster spirit in the sense there is no creative destruction occurring- just destruction for its own sake; undermining the rule of law, spreading hate and vindictiveness, and dividing the American public. However, I am hopeful that the American people will be the catalyst for positive change in reaction to worst that our current trickster spirits are offering up.

Animal embodiments include the coyote, fox, rabbit, spider and raven.
Names : Anansi and Iktomi (the spider), Coyote or Sungmanitu, Raven or Txamsem, Glooscap, Kokopelli, Loki, Kiviuq, Kwekwaxa’we, Nanabozho, Napi, Velho, Wakdjunga, Wasakedjak and Weesageechak.

Forbidden Fruits of Knowledge

Mixed media, found objects, beads, paper 6.5’ x 3.5’ Sold

The inspiration for this installation piece is the current environment in which data is being destroyed, decades of research and other information are being wiped from public access, history is being rewritten, and BOOKS ARE BEING BANNED. Knowledge is a cumulative process; one idea leads to five others and so on. The implication is, that as this body of knowledge is diminished, the foundations upon which new ideas are built will shrink; and, we will be less for it.

Materials: beads, found objects, plastic and resin fruit and flowers, fabric, ribbon and BANNED BOOKS

The Books Included were chosen to be a representative cross section of the array of books on the top 100 banned books list. Their pages fill the skirt.

Tier 1: 1984, G. Orwell. The most banned book.

Tier 2: To Kill a Mockingbird, H. Lee and Catcher and the Rye, J. D. Salinger. Both are books I was required to read in school.

Tier 3: Lolita, V. Nobokov, Sold, P. McCormick, Handmaiden’s Tale, M. Atwood, and I know Why the Caged Bird Sings, M. Angelou. These books all address the abuse of women/children in one form or another.

Under layer: Of Mice and Men, J. Steinbeck, Speak, L. Halse Anderson, Candide, Voltaire, The Kite Runner, K. Hosseini, The Color Purple, A. Walker, Grapes of Wrath, J. Steinbeck, Melissa, A. Gino, The Bluest Eye, T Morrison, and The Hate You Give, A. Thomas.