nootka sound TT ehleeoollooggiya, e ,a sr edfeevres l ot op e ad nb ya tSu rt a. l Tphr oo cmeas ss wAhqe rueibnya sa li nl lSi uv imnmg a stpheec ineas tau srpe i roef ttohwe iarrdc rse aa t enda teuxrias lt e,npcree.d e t e r m i n e d e n d d u e t o
teleology | british columbia by michael leeb
time totems
weathering inevitability process
This totem pole, in its original site, now rests on its back amidst blackberry bushes. The figure with a face-like appearance is located at the base of the totem pole, just above the place where the pole had broken, probably in a severe windstorm. A small bracken fern now emerges from the totem that provides the detritus of its red cedar as a nursery to new plant growth. Deep fissures in the totem hasten the eventual passage of time. The top figure (below) is near the top of the totem. Lying amidst these shrubs, the fallen totem has begun a natural process of decay and over an extended period of time will return fully to the earth where once the towering red cedar grew, was cut down and then carved by a Nuu-chah-nulth artist. Its weathered patina is clearly evident, the result of years of salty sea air, heavy rainstorms and other climatic conditions associated with temperate coastal rainforests of the Pacific Northwest. One can not help but think that this monolithic art form intended this teleological process in which the earth provides the natural material for the totem and now only asks for its return, while the totem figures rest in silent vigil. *
65
weather matters: On Site review 21
Made with FlippingBook interactive PDF creator