3350 x 5044 px | 28,4 x 42,7 cm | 11,2 x 16,8 inches | 300dpi
Date de la prise de vue:
juin 2008
Lieu:
Thunder Park in Victoria on Vancouver Island
Informations supplémentaires:
Totem poles are monumental sculptures carved from large trees, usually cedar, but mostly Western Red Cedar, by cultures of the Indigenous peoples of the Pacific Northwest Coast of North America. The word "totem" is derived from the Ojibwe word odoodem, "his kinship group" Being made of cedar, which decays eventually in the rainforest environment of the Northwest Coast, few examples of poles carved before 1800 exist. Noteworthy examples include those at the Royal BC Museum in Victoria, BC and the Museum of Anthropology at UBC in Vancouver, dating as far back as 1880. And, while 18th century accounts of European explorers along the coast indicate that poles certainly existed prior to 1800, they were smaller and few in number. In all likelihood, the freestanding poles seen by the first European explorers were preceded by a long history of monumental carving, particularly interior house posts. Today a number of successful native artists carve totem poles on commission, usually taking the opportunity to educate apprentices in the demanding art of traditional carving and its concomitant joinery. Such modern poles are almost always executed in traditional styles, although some artists have felt free to include modern subject matter or use nontraditional styles in their execution. The commission for a modern pole ranges in the tens of thousands of dollars; the time spent carving after initial designs are completed usually lasts about a year, so the commission essentially functions as the artist's primary means of income during the period.Totem poles take about 6–12 months to complete
