Over the past couple of years I’ve been doing some fairly low-key art projects for Nike Sportswear. The most recent project I just finished is for the Nike Sportswear lounge which is happening in Vancouver for the 2010 Olympic Games here. Nike is sponsoring a series of 3 club events with local record label Nordic Trax over the duration of the Olympics. The final night is next Wednesday so you can check out the install at Ginger62.
The project description is an artist’s interpretation of the new N98 icon jacket. I decided to build something which would resonate with the N98 stream-lined design and attention to detail and craftsmanship. It became a light inspired by the West Coast First Nations’ totem poles. The result is an 8 foot tall “totem pole” – roughly 11″ diameter constructed from local, clear Western Red cedar, cast acrylic tube, and of course the graphics printed on film and the light ballast. Many thanks go to Kelly at Turnco for helping me construct and turn down the pole, and to Age and Brian at Proper Design for doing the film.
It takes a big machine to handle this size lumber…making alot of woodchips:
It was very difficult to take decent photos since the totem is so tall and thin, and it is also a light source! This is the best I could come up with under crappy halogens and fluoros:
A detail of the top cap of the totem pole, the light ballast is built into this structure. The whole thing goes together and comes apart without any fasteners for easy transport and so the image itself can easily be changed. In this photo one can really see the beautiful grain and colour of the clear cedar…the only thing missing is the wonderful and theraputic aroma of freshly cut cedar.
Another detail shot which for me conveys the “feeling” I get when I admire the real West Coast Native art. I consider myself lucky to live so close to source!
My only overall shot taken just after testing the whole thing – it’s nearly impossible to get a decent overall shot of this using a fixed 50mm lens on a digital SLR…but hopefully you get the idea.
