The gift - sand sculpture

During the British colonisation of North America, there were some terrible tactics used to rid the land of the natives. Probably worst of all were the stories of them giving blankets infected with Smallpox as gifts to the 'Indians'. An early example of germ warfare and a sinister way of enacting it.

As a theme for a sculpture, I know it may touch a few nerves but It was what I wanted to explore with this piece I did for the 2013 Sondervig, Denmark sand sculpture exhibition with the overall theme of Cowboy and Indians. Each piece I do I use as a way to learn more about a subject and hopefully communicate it in my own personal way.

Exhibit A and B

So, what did I learn through my research for this piece? Well, the story mostly revolves around communications between Sir Jeffery Amherst, commander in chief of the British forces and one Col. Henery Bouquet and took place in Fort Pitt in today's Pittsburgh. The fort was overrun by Smallpox and at siege by the natives. Amherst asked would it be possible to somehow infect the enemy with the disease and Bouquet suggested that they could give them some blankets from the infirmary. So, that is what they seemed to do but it is not certain if their plan had the desired effect.

There was also a diary entry found of a militia captain at the fort called William Trent that said he had given two blankets and a handkerchief from the smallpox ward to native American diplomats saying 'I hope they have the desired effect'.

As a sculpture, I wanted to make it like a monument to commemorate this piece of forgotten history.

Hidden histories

Please allow me to go off on a bit of a rant here. There is so much talk on the internet at this moment about censorship and to be honest, this kind of thing is nothing new. 'History is written by the victors' and so there are many things censored from history through the educational system and nationalism. When I talk to some English people they have little knowledge about the history of what happened in Ireland due to Imperialism. It is just not thought in their schools, the genocide that played out, reducing our population from 8 million down to around 6 because of a failure of the potato crop and the export of all other foods to Britain. So in some ways, we have a bit of an affinity to the plight of the Native Americans. Actually, during the time of the Irish Famine, the Choctaw nation had sent $170 to Ireland to help the starving families. Although it was way before my time and so was the genocide in the Americas I think it is important to try and remember this past so that we can move on from it or as they say we will be destined to repeat it. These things should not be a matter of national shame but of national knowledge. Those who are alive today have no guilt to bare but an understanding of how these things can happen in a divided society is really important. They can creep up on you slowly but surely, starting with the idea of an us against them and the flames get fanned by those who have things to gain in a world turned to shit.

'Never again' was what they said after World War two but there doesn't seem to have been much learning about how the Nazi came to power. They were bad and the rest of the west was good. These seem to be the acceptable parameters in which you can discuss the matter. 'Why?' This seems like such an easy question but one which we are not allowed to ask due to it maybe, opening up a can of worms.

Being open to information and other points of view about what happened in the past is so important. There was no straight forward route about the things that happen just a collection of incidents which are picked and chosen from to create a palatable narrative for the citizens which we then call history.

Ok, I'm done.

Back to the feature presentation

My sculpture was quite calm on the outside. Two hands that appeared to be reaching down from heaven, giving a blanket. It was a simple piece but not without the technical challenges of trying to fit it into the supplied compaction of sand. I was happy with the hands at the time. Also, the cloth had a nice life to it.

The centre was hollowed out to give a space that would represent the Virus itself. It was unintentional but I did get some comments that it looked like a ladies naughty bits. I can assure you it was their perverted mind and not mine.

At the very centre, I tried something quite difficult and that was to make a semi-transparent wall with the image of the virus carved into it. I made this piece separately by spraying a very thin layer of sand with lots of PVA glue and letting it set into a thin film which I then poked holes in to give the effect. You may need to zoom in to see it.

I was happy with this sculpture and the fact it had a message. A gift with a rotting core at its centre. I really need to carve some happier sculptures.

Sorry for my rant earlier, I just sometimes need to get things off my chest and if you have read this far you more than likely not the ones I am talking to. Oh, the irony!