Stacy's Dedication
Plywood (burnt), emu feathers, leather, brass strips, brass nails, white acrylic paint, satin clear lacquer 2020
Sadly, one of our professors in the School of Art here at Texas Tech University Stacy Elko lost her battle with cancer before the start of this semester. Billie Parson's a past grad from Australia had left Emu feathers and Gum leaves for me to give to Stacy. Unfortunately, I was never able to get them to her. Billie and I talked it over and we decided to make a wreath/ wearable with the feathers. Billie and I came together to design this, and it ended up displaying the feathers on the outside and the form is an ouroboros. I then burned the wood pieces to touch on life and death, and lastly I wanted it to scream Stacy so I looked up her art and decided to add designs to the top of the wood pieces that are similar to some work I saw of hers. Billie originally asked that we burned the gum leaves at her service. Here is what Billie wrote about the symbology according to Aboriginal terms.
Stacy Elko farewell replacing resistance with curiosity unique in its profile, as Stacy was, this is the emu feather the only bird feather in the world that grows two feathers from one quill, a duality not dissimilar to Stacy's role as artist and educator. Borrowing from the first peoples culture Naarm (Australia) we respectfully use these feathers to carry Stacy on her journey, and to give this crown the highest value of knowledge and rebirth. The crown we present here also carries the ouroboros, a symbol used time immemorial for wholeness and infinity. It represents the Milky Way galaxy, referring to a serpent of light residing in heavens. With the Gum leaves, in this instance, we use them to cleanse releasing the 'smoke' creating a pathway for Stacy's spirit to rise up.
Stacy Elko farewell replacing resistance with curiosity unique in its profile, as Stacy was, this is the emu feather the only bird feather in the world that grows two feathers from one quill, a duality not dissimilar to Stacy's role as artist and educator. Borrowing from the first peoples culture Naarm (Australia) we respectfully use these feathers to carry Stacy on her journey, and to give this crown the highest value of knowledge and rebirth. The crown we present here also carries the ouroboros, a symbol used time immemorial for wholeness and infinity. It represents the Milky Way galaxy, referring to a serpent of light residing in heavens. With the Gum leaves, in this instance, we use them to cleanse releasing the 'smoke' creating a pathway for Stacy's spirit to rise up.
