Totem

William Dawson, Totem, ca. 1975, acrylic and felt-tipped pen and ink on carved wood, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Chuck and Jan Rosenak, 1981.136.1

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William Dawson carved stacks of faces from old table and chair legs before he even knew what a totem pole was. These pieces show his distinctive carved faces, with wide, staring eyes painted a stark white against different colored backgrounds. He made totems in a variety of heights depending on the piece of wood, and they can reach up to four feet.

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“I had never seen a totem. I was in the park one day. I was carving and a fellow came up and said, ‘Oh, you make totems.’ But I didn’t know what they were. My wife looked it up in a book in the library, and sure enough, I was making totems.” The artist, quoted in Folk Art Messenger, Winter 1990

Title

Totem

Artist

William Dawson

Date

ca. 1975

Location

Dimensions