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Gentle Spirit Bronze Sculpture This maiden is a highly spiritual piece for me. She represents Mother Nature, the feminine force that takes care of all living beings, plants and animals. She came about during a very difficult time in my life and I truly believe she guided me through the formative process. At that time, I was in no position to create such beauty on my own. Due to the subject matter being dealt with and because I felt it was the most natural means of effectively capturing her essence, I employed more abstraction into this piece. It was nice change from the realism that I’m known for. The design work on the shawl she wears has religious significance in my Pueblo culture. The three-tiered steps (shiny bronze) represent kiva altar steps. The triangular shapes pointing downward are the feathers we offer in prayer, one on top of the other symbolizing the prayers of the people. The clouds above each tier are the blessings being received when we pray for rain, moisture, abundant rivers and healthy run-offs that will nurture all growing things. On her backside, the shawl turns into the ground, Mother Earth. From the earth grows an Acoma stylized flower, surrounded by two hummingbirds. When you turn her around, the ground surface turns back into the shawl. I wanted her to embody the idea of continuation, the cycle of life. The design on her left arm extending outward symbolizes rain and is borrowed from the Hopi. The two feathers in the middle, once again, are the people’s prayer for rain. The textured area on the inside of the shawl, as well as within the feather and clouds, was my attempt to capture the energy and atmosphere of love that I imagine exists within the spirit world. Lastly, I designed the shawl in such a way that if she were to bring it together, both altars would connect. The patina colors I selected for the back of the shawl are the subtle colors of fall and the changing of the leaves. The patina is darker at the base, closer to the ground and lighter at the top where the hummingbirds fly. Her tablita (the head dresses women wear during our corn dances) is turquoise blue, the color of the sky, with red altar steps on both sides and a rain cloud in the center. Finally, I gave her a slight smile, a common characteristic of my work. I thought this added a nice balance to the overall seriousness nature of the piece. (Joe Cajero) |
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