Random Appropriation of the Day! (Totem Cups)

 (source)

I initially didn't have much to say about these "Totem Cups" by designer Rob Southcott--they're cups. That look like a totem pole. Oh, but they are made in the land of many great Native appropriations: China.

Southcott is a Toronto-based artist, and his pieces seem to incorporate a lot of the natural world with "functionality". Lots of driftwood looking things, kinda pretty.

But then I got to thinking. What irks me about this product is not only the "totem pole" as interpreted by a non-Native who has no knowledge of the sacredness or intentionality behind the designs of Northwest coast/Alaska totem poles, but also the fact that the revenue of this product, clearly based off Indigenous designs, goes to the non-Native artist. So he benefits, while the tribes that created and maintained this style of art do not. That doesn't seem fair, does it?

If I decided to market a product that was clearly a direct rip off of one of Southcott's other designs, I would have a lawsuit slapped on me before it even hit shelves. The slippery slope of intellectual property clearly falls on the side of those in power, doesn't it? 

Totem Cups: http://www.neatoshop.com/product/Totem-Cups

Rob Southcott: http://robsouthcott.com/

(Thanks Marj and arkityp!)

Native-themed Banksy Street Art in San Francisco

(Click to make it grande, source here)

I'm a huge fan of the street art movement, I love art that incorporates social commentary and appears in unexpected forms and places. UK artist Banksy is arguably the leader of the movement, with his pieces appearing all over the world, in galleries and sold-out shows, but also on everything from nondescript alleys to the wall between Gaza/the west bank and Jerusalem.

I love the image above, from the Mission district in San Francisco, playing with the whole immigration debate. I like when artist's juxtapose historic and modern, I think it calls into question some of the preconceived notions the public holds about Native peoples.


Similarly, though not exactly the same, I really like the work of Apache Skateboards' founder Douglas Miles, because (clearly) I love anything that subverts stereotypes and allows Natives to exist as contemporary beings, instead of being situated in the pepetual past. Miles' bio describes his art as:

"Graphic imagery of Apache warriors and contemporary “Rez” portraits brings a Native aesthetic and sensibility to the skateboard culture. The Apache skateboards break through a seemingly closed mainstream boundary, reasserting and affirming Indian youth’s presence in the mainstream culture of today."

Love it. "...reasserting and affirming Indian youth's presence in the mainstream culture of today." Miles is also active in engaging Native youth in art and the art making process, which is even better.

Here are some of his pieces:

All images can be found on the Apache Skateboards website.

For those of you interested in the Street Art Movement, I saw Banksy's awesome documentary last week called "Exit Through the Gift Shop" about street art and the emergence of controversial artist "Mr. Brainwash"--a would-be filmmaker and friend of Banksy/Shepard Fairey/etc turned artist. Really calls into question the art world and the strange boundaries we as a society draw around what is deemed "art." Definitely recommend it!

If anyone has any other cool Native street art, send it over!

Earlier:

Masking Tape and Markers=Beautiful Native Street Art

"I bead contemporary Native life": The Art of Teri Greeves