Wednesday, April 30, 2014

"It was named St. Lawrence Island, out in the middle of the Beirng Sea, between Siberia and mainland Alaska.  I have always disliked this name, it has nothing to do with it's true name, a name that remains unknown to this day at least for me. I am in preference to realize this old name for such an important place, and perhaps eventually it will come to pass that it shall be 'renamed' again more appropriately.  It is like so many historic and prehistoric native locations that have been named in English or other, that requires this change. When I am asked about these locations, I never divulge the new common conquered titles, instead as close as I can to offer it's true namesake, not St. Lawrence Island, but perhaps 'Yupik Island.' 
"Woolly Mammoth Ivory discovered in beach gravels above the Arctic Circle of Alaska, utilized to perpetuate motif lost and now extinct in the Arctic and elsewhere now is my endeavor.  This motif is ancient Yupik, of Siberia and Punuk Island Alaska within the Bering Sea.  These ancient Yupik artisans were the most elaborate culture within the circumpolar region of the Arctic, and are very noteworthy with their cultural identity. My interest is to continue these traditions developed within my studio, to offer anyone with an interest in such 'Amulets' as I am the only artist offering such wondrous treasures "  
Centuries with so many revolutions around the sun, when nomadic hunters in their seasonal sojourns from their summer camps to winter stay, found them on the trails of Caribou, Bear, and Seals.  They were experts in country, as they traversed all of it with a knowing of what they could find to survive such long winters and mosquito infested summers. Threats were and still are common place in these regions as they lived out their lives successfully with a technology very well suited to such environment.  Small, lightweight projectile end blades were 'flaked' off larger chert cores blanks that they found in rivers and beaches.  Designed so well with balance to effectively take Caribou, Bear and other creatures in their region.  War was also occasional and had been deadly accurate with such stone points well placed, but Humans whom they were, come to no surprise from our extensive track records as evidence still can be discovered from their passings.  

Tuesday, April 29, 2014

"All along the Alaskan beaches for hundreds of miles from the Bering to the Chukchi Seas, the beaches are devastated by erosion. Call it 'Global Warming,' or other, but where there were once beaches that I recognized in some regions are altered and gone. Ancient prehistoric and historic village sites along with historic hunting and fishing encampments are now underwater and in the sea. I am not positioning myself to collect, save for photos that I can use in the future to replicate motif that is considered extinct.  My studio is the only one from the Arctic that offers such designs from lost Arctic cultural horizons" 
"Reverse of Arctic, Alaskan Human Figure Amulet revealing the skeletal motif of a Shaman deity depicting a vision of an 'OBE' as was typical of ancient Shaman intentions. (Five inches in height, a dramatic version of an out of body experience, 'OBE' into a vision realm. Amulets are very rare, but were often passed down from many generations unless they proved to be ill-effective, then were buried with the last holder, ultimately frozen and well preserved in permafrost ice until thawed and resurfaced naturally or archaeologically)."  
"2014 finds me in the Arctic again, with a few original artifacts and an entire inventory of lost and extinct motif offerings of primarily Woolly Mammoth Ivory to begin my endeavor of preserving these designs in a physical extinct Mammoth ivory display.  I will be presenting these pieces in route to the Arctic and often even the locals enjoy their prehistoric heritage brought to them for personal Amulets and Talismans that I offer."  
Ancient Ivory and Bone artifacts of all descriptions are eroding into the Bering and Chukchi Seas of Arctic Alaska due to the apparent Global Warming scenario.  In some ways, ancient designs are being discovered for my endeavor to collect motifs and then in the future to offer them in some artistic format to preserve them. Many of these designs are to remain in an extinct posture as virtually no one records them apart from museums and private collections yet these 'motif' are of such mastery as to be a renaissance that spans the Far North from a thousand to three thousand years ago. "For certain, in summer every day, are ancient village sites falling into the sea and along with it, lost designs and art to be reburied underwater."   (Okvik, Yupik, Bering Sea type harpoons in this photo of Mammoth Ivory, the two on the left are now in a private museum).