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Traditionally in
a number of cultures, totems were represented in a place
of meeting to discuss group business and story telling. For me,
these totems evoke memories and expectations of gatherings with
friends and family. The work in this exhibition reflects on time,
from biological and geological perspectives, and ancestry. For
instance, one of the motifs I've used, in a highly stylized form,
is the Maori whakapapa staff - the ancestry staff used by elders
to tell stories of their ancestry. People are open to their own
interpretations and hopefully these totems will evoke memories
of their own. The ceramic pieces that go into making up these
totems use both traditional and contemporary glazes. The dichotomy
of the glaze forms represent a meeting of lives from both traditional
and contemporary cultures. Overall, the exhibition represents
a journey.
Lex Dickson
November 2006
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