Saturday, April 24, 2010

SONG OF THE PEOPLE/ an abstract work depicting the Kakinim, or spirits, who are evoked in the singing of traditional Maidu Indian music

         

                     
   Song of the People
   1984
    by Eric Whollem
    watercolor, plastic emulsion, and wax resist on paper
    Collection of the artist
    9 x 6"
           Copyright by the artist

The Kakinim

The Kakinim are those beings who are called
spirits or ghosts by the Concow Maidu Indians
of Northern California. Kakini is the singular
form of the word.

The Sutter Buttes in the Sacramento Valley are
called Histayami by the Maidu. Histayami is
divided into three spirit levels by the Maidu.
Kakinimkodom, or Spirit Country, is the highest
level.

This painting gives an imaginative visual form
to a Maidu song. . . a surrealistic interpretation.  

BELOW IS A VIDEO ABOUT
CONCOW MAIDU
CULTURE

                           ERIC WHOLLEM

An excellent album of Maidu songs was issued
by Pacific Western Traders in Folsom. I used to
live in the house of one of the singers on that album,
Herb Young, a shaman of the Maidu.
_______________


SPIRIT ANIMALS OF THE CONCOW MAIDU
 Video by Eric Whollem
See my posts about the Maidu Indians on this link:

SEED FIRE/ a mixed media abstraction symbolizing the life force in seeds






     Seed Fire
     1984
     by Eric Whollem
     watercolor, parafin, earth pigments and polyvinyl resin
     Collection of the artist
     6 x 9"
         Copyright by the artist

NEW COLUMBIA/ a mixed media abstraction on paper




    New Columbia
    1984
    by Eric Whollem
    watercolor and wax resist on paper
    Collection of the artist
    9 x 6"
           Copyright by the artist