social sculpture
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.
God Keep Our Land...
description
God Keep Our Land…—an art installation of PVC pipe, cut tree, reclaimed wood, paint and soil—begins with just four notes of the Canadian national anthem with the same lyrics as in the name. Reclaimed wood—with a musical score routered into the aged surface—hangs on the gallery wall with its grooves and indentations filed with soil. Immediately in front of the reclaimed wood, a pipe emerges from the floor and then bends horizontally, seemingly barging disrespectfully through a tree. The pipe appears broken—its contents spewed upon the gallery floor.
Nasty Habit
description
At fist glimpse, one might think that Nasty Habit—a 2013 sculpture project by Richard Heikkila-Sawan—is majestic or even glorious. Upon closer investigation the truth slaps the viewer in the face—assaults the senses. Created for the NET-ETH: Going out of the Darkness exhibition, Nasty Habit speaks rather heavy-handedly to the sensitive issues related to that of the residential schools. Standing twelve feet tall, the viewer is given the perspective like that of a small child.
G[u]ilt
description
As one enters the gallery space illuminated by a single hooded bulb hanging low to the floor, the viewer experiences an ambiance similar to that of an interrogation room—a harsh bulb shining with intimidating intent upon a subject. A rusted steel plate, twelve inches square, sits on the concrete floor ostensibly bolted down with four rusted screws. A maple leaf shape has been cut into the steel—its space filled with motor oil.
