丁香园AV

Context

Coast Salish art is deeply tied to a world in which people, land, and spiritual power are inseparable. This world is composed of humans, plants, animals, rocks, places, and spirits associated with living things and natural events. These spiritual beings can move from the visible world we inhabit to parallel invisible worlds, or to worlds under the sea, underground or in the sky                                              

The Coast Salish landscape is filled with reminders of spirit power such as rocks, trees and animals that were given their present form by powerful siblings known as Transformers. In this sense, the integral relationship between the Coast Salish people and their land is literally written into the earth.

Written in the Earth was also an historically important exhibit of archaeological artifacts at the Museum of Anthropology (MOA), which opened in 1996. Named by Musqueam weaver Deborah Sparrow, who on hearing Pierre Trudeau say 鈥淚 don鈥檛 see it written anywhere that the land is yours鈥� thought to herself, 鈥淚t is written in the earth. The evidence is everywhere that we have lived in the land. Anywhere that we open the earth, so are unveiled the messages from the past鈥�.

This piece is an expression of the relationship between the Coast Salish and the land, and the historical events that have taken place here. The four panels represent world cultures. Each piece has a human face at its centre with a bird on each side representing a different celestial body. The hummingbird represents the earth; the thunderbird represents the stars; the owl represents the moon; and the phoenix represents the sun. 

Additional information

This piece is the artist鈥檚 proof for a public art installation commissioned by First and Goal Inc., Seattle, WA. The public installation can be seen at the Century Link Field and Exhibition Centre.

is a private collection of contemporary Coast Salish art that weaves together the distinctive forms and designs of established and emerging artists. The collection has travelled to various museums and galleries throughout the world.