“Inukshuk” is a cairn, a rock stack, which in this case is built with ceramic “rocks”. The piece is a reimagining of rock stacks one might have encountered centuries ago, or today, or a century from now on the banks of the Charles River. The indigenous peoples and early settlers of Watertown, like others throughout New England and beyond*, have since prehistory built cairns as route markers, burial monuments, and for ceremonial purposes.
Cairns reorient and reassure by communicating that "others have passed this way". They invite reflection and pause, and prompt the instinct to touch. They can be small and simple, or complex balanced structures and feats of engineering and artistic.
Inukshuk is made of hollow ceramic hand textured “rocks” separated by ceramic spacers. Its rocks are strung on a 1/2” copper rod that is embedded in a 50 pound (real) rock base. The rock base is secured in a 6-8 inch footing hole dug in the ground. Although the piece is tall (84”), it’s very robust and pieces from the same series have endured New England weather conditions year-round. Viewers are welcome to touch the piece and explore its unique textures!
* Indigenous people of the Pacific Northwest create inukshuk rock stacks, most of which represent human forms; I took a bit of a liberty with the concept and the word.
