Killer Whale Totem + Hyacinth Medicine Amulet
Preston Singletary
Judge Patricia H. Clark Children and Family Justice Center
Formlines in cast glass depict an orca through Tlingit symbology.
"The two figures could be viewed as ancestors, holding a rolled back dorsal fin,” Preston Singletary says of this lead glass killer whale with its head down and its tail at the top. “If you look at the sides you can see the pectoral fin. This happens to be my clan symbol.” Singletary is Tlingit, descended from Indigenous peoples of the Pacific Northwest coast in what today is Alaska, British Columbia, and the Yukon.
Standing over 18 inches tall, Killer Whale Totem was cast in lead crystal in the Czech Republic. The sculpture features a variety of concentric circular shapes and u-forms that are part of the traditional design style known as “formline,” which dates back more than 2,000 years. Formlines change in thickness as they flow around corners, creating harmony in the way they balance opposites—such as positive and negative space, multi-directional and uni-directional shapes, and cultural dualities.
Singletary explores mediums beyond glass too. His cast bronze Hyacinth Medicine Amulet is both a complement to Killer Whale Totem and a tribute to friend and mentor, Hyacinth Joe David. It features a raven head, a land otter with tail extended upwards, and the silhouette of a shaman. The otter, it is said, contributes to a shaman's ability to heal the sick.Continue Reading ›
About the Location
Judge Patricia H. Clark Children and Family Justice Center
Read more about the art and artists at Judge Patricia H. Clark Children and Family Justice Center. More >