Preston Singletary and Raven Skyriver

Preston Singletary (Tlingit, American) had a dazzling exhibition in Tacoma that recently closed called “Raven and the Box of Daylight.” The sculptures told the famous Raven story step by step with some full on installations, and special effects added in. We were mesmerized by the flow of the story and Preston’s presentation.

“Before here was here, Raven was only named Yeil

 

“He was a white bird and the world was in Darkness. Raven decides he will try and do something about the darkness, for himself and for the world. As he follows the Nass River, he encounters the Fishermen of the Night. . . . They tell Yeil Naas Shaak Aankaawu (the Nobleman at the Head of the Nass River), has many treasures in his Naa Kanidi (Clan House) including beautifully carved boxes that house the light.”

“Yeil(Raven) knows he will not be welcome in his raven form and devises a plan to transform himself to a tiny speck of dirt. His plan is to float down the river into the drinking ladle of the young woman, Naas Shaak Aankaawu du Seek’ ( Daughter of the Nobleman at the Head of the Nass River). That is how he will sneak into the Naa Kanidi( Clan House)

“Yeil turns himself into a piece of dirt and falls into the water. He floats into the young woman’s ladle as she dips it into the river for a drink. …

“Yeil is ingested by Naas Shaak Aankaawu du Seek’ and she becomes pregnant with Yeil.”

“Yeil grows into a precocious and precious human boy. “

The center of the exhibition was the clan house with its prized possessions, the stars, the moon and the daylight. Through pleading with his grandfather, who adores him, Raven is able to liberate the box of the stars, moon and daylight.

“As the stars fill the sky and as the moon takes its place. light begins to fill the earth. When the sun takes its place in the sky, bringing daylight to the world, it is frightening to all those who have been in darkness. The people are able to see the world around them for the first time and are startled. Those wearing animal regalia run to the woods and become animal people, Those wearing bird regalia jump in the sky and become The Winged People. Those wearing water animal regalia become the Water People. Those who remained strong (and stubborn) became the Human People.”

“Yeil decides it is time to leave and transforms back into bird form. Naas Shaak Aankaawu ( Nobleman at the Head of the Nass River) is devastated that his treasures have been released into the sky. He is so angry that he gathers all the pitch in the Naa Kahidi ( Clan House) in a bentwood box and throws it into the fire. He catches Yeil as he tries to escape out of the smoke hole and holds onto his feel Yeil is covered in the soot and smoke of the fire. He is transformed from a spiritual being tin the black bird we know today. His color marks his sacrifice. His physical form is forever changed for bringing light into the world”

At the same time as this exhibition, we enjoyed musical performance by both traditional Alaskan Tlingit Kuteeyaa and Preston Singeltary’s band Khu eex’. I can’t seem to us load the video here.

If you missed this special exhibition at the Museum of Glass you can still see Preston’s work as well as that of Raven Skyriver at the Stonington Gallery this month. Also on exhibit is his mentor Joe David. Raven Skyriver and Preston spoke at a panel this summer at the Museum of Glass where they spoke about the importance of the hot shop there for expanding the possiblities of their work in glass. Raven Skyriver who is from Lopez Island compared fluid glass to the marine environment. He sees himself as “perpetuating culture in glass.” Historically house leaders commissioned art. It has to be commercial now. His work presents endangered sea creatures. threatened by acidification, overfishing, and pollution.

Preston spoke of beginning his glass work only ten years ago. In the press release it emphasizes that he spent years studying form line design in order to create glass in the Tlingit tradition. He has studied with some of the great artists of contemporary Native Art. We all know how stunning his work has been in that medium. His glass work has transformed my point of view on glass sculpture. Last summer, he and Raven Skyriver collaborated on work for the first time. And this exhibition is in honor of that collaboration. Carefully note in the captions all the different techniques for working with glass: hot sculpted, glass cast, blown, sandblasted, sand carved.