These handcarved pop culture totems are insane, and completely awesome.
Here are three handcarved pop culture totems that Ojimbo carved for the upcoming "Monster Mayhem and Day of the Dead Delights" show at Roq la Rue this Friday the 13th. (Yes Kipling- that is an angel cyclops kitty atop one of those totems!)
Jim "Ojimbo" Sheely (Ohio) carves mind boggling detailed wood pop culture totem poles and wall pieces. Carving almost exclusively from kiln dried American basswood, Ojimbo originally was entranced by the carving of cultures in which it was integral to their culture, such as the Pacific Northwest Coast tribes, New Zealand’s Maori, and Balinese carvers.
Rather than simply emulate it, Ojimbo decided to stay true to his own sensibilities and his interest in the dark comic grotesque qualities of art that has become a hallmark of much contemporary pop art. Ojimbo often sands down his pieces, to give them a timeworn look, like a toy handed down through generations.
His attention to technical detail and sublime color sense ratchet each piece up from amusing curio to sophisticated folk art like sculpture.
