Joel Dean Stockdill and Yusinta Salnikova

This family of quail began as an invitation to create a custom sculpture for Somo Village during their recent development project. We began a dialogue with SOMO and were introduced to Nicole Myers-Lim, a Pomo leader and Executive Director of the California Indian Museum & Cultural Center.

Joel Dean Stockdill and Yusinta Salnikova

Biography

Our desire as artists was to honor the land and the local animal species while paying homage to the indigenous people who have called this land home and sanctuary for many thousands of years.

Working with reclaimed materials reminds the artists that each object has a story. It was formed by the earth, extracted, processed, made, transported, etc. Each object took a lot of care, effort, and magic to bring into existence. In our modern culture of industrial processes and disposability this process is often taken for granted. Honoring this story allows them to connect to the greater forces that make life possible.

SOMO ARTWORK

Dire wolf made from reclaimed materials

“Sheila”

They gathered excess materials from various construction projects and used them to remake her frame and body. For example, her fur or skin is made up of gutters from a reroofed house. The entire life story of Sheila and the parts that make her will be coming soon.

Working with reclaimed materials reminds the artists that each object has a story. It was formed by the earth, extracted, processed, made, transported, etc. Each object took a lot of care, effort, and magic to bring into existence. In our modern culture of industrial processes and disposability this process is often taken for granted. Honoring this story allows them to connect to the greater forces that make life possible.

They also hope to remind their audiences that things deemed as “trash” can be given new life with a bit of love and attention.

Created from recycled materials

“Quail Family”

Our process of sculpting animals is an intuitive exploration of form and material which is expressed through homage. The act of recreating a natural species by transforming material that would otherwise go to landfills is an invitation to view our natural world and our consumer behaviors differently. The act of further deconstructing consumer and construction waste brings the material closer to its natural mineral state and makes suitable musculature, sinew, skin, and fur.

Every material has a story, new lumber for instance had a long life as a tree before its eventual life as timber. The story that each piece of recycled material tells is a much deeper and connected tale.

Since every material has its own advantages and limitations, the final design will always be highly influenced by the specific recycled material used.

Created by artists Joel Dean Stockdill @joeldeanstockdill and Yusinta Salnikova @yustinaa, Curated and Produced by Building 180 @building180