seeing dependence arising

this piece is an acknowledgement of the interdependence of all beings and honors those upon whose backs we ride to survive. the lemming is scaled larger than the owl to show its equal importance in their interrelationship. the traditional yup’ik hand (outstretched owl foot) has an eye in the center, signifying the cyclical emergence of sentient beings to this realm. the owl foot atop the lemming is shaped like a yup'ik hunter's visor, which, like the hand, brings humans into this conversation of interdependence and the small whale and bird shapes on the visor (a visual reference to talons) are fashioned after yup'ik scrimshaw carvings which are part of yup'ik material culture and are a sort of meta-commentary on the cultural significance of interrelationship between all beings. i'm still sculpting the visor and the "scrimshaw" shapes are just placeholders right now for what i will sculpt there.