ARTIST’S STATEMENT

About ‘WINDOWS OF WISDOM’

When I first discovered that Coast Miwok sites had been identified in the vicinity, I began doing some research on the tribe and some of their customs. As with much of my work, I knew it would be a figurative piece. However, I felt that a more abstracted work was appropriate. I wanted it to symbolize a message of wisdom for the future. The theme, which impressed me the most, was how these ancient people epitomized the phrase “live in harmony with the land.”

I designed two figures symbolizing the male and female. I elongated the figures and created a veiled effect to convey spirit form. The front of the figures, have flowing lines which are meant to impart the flow of nature. It has a wood / bone-like feel to it. The two figures face out toward the front of the plaza, “looking toward the future.” The openings in each figure represent an open heart, which creates a window to the past. Through the openings the viewer can see the back of the plaza where the creek flows and where the remains of a female Coast Miwok were later found. This was an unexpected coincidence.

From the back of these two figures, there appears to be two others facing “the past.” They represent aspects of the self, which must look both ways for balance. The design on the back appears less fluid and more static, as the past is unchangeable. Through the openings, one views the future, which will be far richer when built on the wisdom of the past.

 

Aiko Morioka
Sculptor
2006