Totem

description

Teetering precariously upon a puddle of wind-blown sand stands Totem—a 2013 sculpture by Richard Heikkila-Sawan. Made entirely of found items, this work speaks to office ontology—to help us to remember of how things once were. Traditionally, a totem has been defined as an emblem of a group of people, such as a family, clan, group, lineage, or tribe, reminding them of their ancestry (or mythic past). Heikkila-Sawan has not only reworked the meaning of the totem; he has completely changed the materials from which one would expect a totem to be made. Starting with a base of twin computer towers—each topped with a coffeemaker—Totem is a collection of common mass produced items that communicate aspects of the corporate environment typical to office culture such as gender roles, hierarchy and office politics. An iMac crowns the sculpture scrolling through images of faces representing all cultures.