The TRIBE
Is a collection of twelve works that have a wearable amulet, completed 11-2018 for- Spectrum Art Miami.
Please go to the bottom of the page for the written description.
J756. Movement, (11/2018)
J757. HON, (11-2018)
Is powerful and thought to be capable of curing illness. Naturally, they are great warriors, with the symbolic of great strength and power. HON is usually seen in the Soyohim or Mixed Dances in the spring.
1. http://www.turquoisespiritjourney.com/category/kachina-dolls/
No. J758_ Coyote steals the Sun & Moon (11/2018)
Welded metals finished in clear.
No. J759_ Chieftess
Woman Chief – Power and pride in sensitive awareness of belief.
No. J760 _Shaman (11/2018)
Regarded as having access to, and influence in, the world of benevolent and malevolent spirits, who typically enters into a trance state during a ritual, and practices divination and healing. Shamans acquired their supernatural power through personal experience, such as a vision or a dream. They usually underwent initiation rituals as well. Indians believed that shamans could control the weather, foretell the future, bring success in warfare and food…
No. J761_ Mongwa
Symbolizes intelligence and wisdom.
No. J762 Askuwheteau
Algonquin name, “He Keeps Watch”.
No. J763_Cheveyo
Hopi name meaning “he keeps watch”.
No. J764_Hopi
No. J765_Blue Jacket
About the “Tribe”
Michelle Vara’s created The Tribe collection as an intersection of sculpture and jewelry inspired by the artist journey cross country in 2018, and more specifically Michelle’s time spent in Arizona exposed to kachina mythology of Pueblo Indians.
Michelle has always been interested in the story of object and tradition and ancestral spirits, her interests are sparked by artist like Hilma af Klint, as in the spiritualist practice as a medium and reflect an effort to articulate mystical views of reality through visual output. (1) Each piece in this series is conceived through meditation and drawings.
Michelle has been working on a theory of object, that contains memory and conveys in real time to and through an individual.
About Kachinas
Many different styles of kachinas exist to provide different types of examples and guidance for the tribe. Each type has a particular set of characteristics and a distinctive personality. When impersonated, a costume, song style, and set of body movements are both repeated and unique. Most kachinas are considered benevolent friends, although some are clowns and still others punish wayward people. (2)
As Michelle read into American Indian lore and traditions, she started thinking how Kachina theory crossed into her object as a vessel idea. Michelle then started looking for a common object that contained energy and is accelerated by intimate interaction with humans, in that she choose the spoon to create the “Tribe” collection. The “Tribe” is supported by a structure that uses reclaimed materials that hold metaphor, history, experience, and reference.
About the Amulet
The Michelle reworked the spoons into amulets that can be worn as jewelry. The spoon serves as an intimate vessel for the quality of being, capturing life force, exuberance, memory, the emotion of human daily life.
Michelle chooses spoons for their found color, finish, size, shape, and how they have worn through use.
The spoon amulet connects in many ways like motion energy and sound waves of a bell-like clanking when one stirs. Stirring opens a vortex of energy relationships and references. The spoon forms a personal relation through the mouth, saliva relating intake or feeding. The spoon amulet also considers family, familiarity, task, experience, and is exposed to all human emotional states, going mostly unnoticed. The Amulets are then incorporated into a sculpture framework as a holder which allows the amulet to convey the communication further.