Totem: At the End of the Day

totem: at the end of the day.
2’x2’x6’
mixed media (carved televisions, video, acrylic, plywood)

I formed totem poles from discarded televisions, carving traditional characters into the surface and accenting the detail in acrylic paint. The video in the screens addresses common elements of our human evolution across cultures. I created this piece to emphasize the irony of cultural evolution in which western societies feel that anything else is backward. The symbolism in using outdated televisions emulate the iconic characters used by Northwestern Native American tribes to teach tribal history and protect villages addresses the nature of our current society. Our wastefulness, as well as our passive reliance on convenient media to educate and inform ourselves.