Featured work in Preston Singletary's solo exhibition, Tlingit Modernism. This new body of work is reflective of his different styles, from representing traditional cultural objects or making contemporary abstractions inspired by Modernism. His work continues the narrative thread of Tlingit style while reflecting on new directions for an ancient culture.
“This totem represents the coming together of my Tlingit culture and my wife’s Swedish culture. It’s a sculpture that represents the blending of our lives together with our children. The top figure represents Åsa, my wife, and directly below her is Odin, the Norse god flanked by two ravens at the front of a Swedish-style long boat. In Tlingit culture, it would have been a dugout canoe. Below Odin is our daughter Lydia’s face and below her, our son Orlo. He is holding our puppy, Ori, our pet cockapoo, represented as a wolf in this sculpture.
Åsa and I have been married for over 25 years and our symbiotic relationship has fueled my creative inspiration over these years. Odin is considered one of the Norse gods, and the equivalent I am proposing is that he is like a Shaman from our culture. Odin is usually depicted with two Ravens by his side. Raven is a prominent figure in Tlingit art and culture. I depicted Odin here as a guiding and protecting spirit like a Shaman from the Tlingit culture. David Svenson is the carver of this form, one of my original mentors. I conceptualized and designed this sculpture with David, and we collaborated to make this story come to life.” Preston Singletary
