Artist Cloaks Her Dolls in Cultural Mysticism

Art of the 20th century is liberally lined with modernists looking with longing at native cultures and spiritual belief systems. It might be diagnosed as a case of culture envy, in which artists grounded in cosmopolitan, secular traditions of art-making are attracted to, and borrow from, expressive qualities of so-called primitive and folk art.

On paper, the Native American-inspired, ritualistic sculptures in Nora Yukon’s “Dancing with the Universal Kin,” now at gallery one one one, might smack of cultural dislocation, at best, or larceny, at worst. But these fastidiously made yet appealingly funky “soft sculpture” dolls and other objects adhere to what is now a time-honored tradition. Yukon is seeking new meaning from cultural sources very different from her own.

In gathering ideas for this series of works, the German-born, Southern California-based artist deliberately unplugged herself from the hectic hum of the urban scene and visited Native Americans in the Rio Grande region and in Guatemala. In an effort to celebrate the source of inspiration while discovering a new expressive language for herself, Yukon began creating dolls that emulate the spiritual icons in Native American mysticism.

Yukon’s small, finely detailed “fetishes” go under the title “Spirit Keepers,” while the larger dolls are called shamans, intended to summon up the powers of gods in a pantheistic society. Apart from any intended spiritual connection, the pieces themselves have figurative flair, crafted with a miniaturist’s zeal.

In creating her pieces, Yukon deliberately gathered many of her materials from nature, in keeping with the nature-oriented, anti-industrial emphasis of her work. Sticks serve as the crude skeletal foundations for the dolls, which are adorned with feathers, weavings and various, fanciful embellishments.

The shaman in “Ocean Dancer” has hair of dried kelp and a small wooden dolphin on its shoulder. For “Woman Goddess with Salamander,” bits of bone, dried sunflowers, shells, and snake skin give apt texture to the image of a feminine goddess responsible for Yukon describes as the “embryonic stages of life and fertility.”

Tapping into aspects of Native American culture has become a common, and sometimes dubious, practice, especially among the new-age set, where purity of intent and respect for native culture can be clouded by market-wise fashion trends. Call it the “Dancing with Wolves” syndrome, in which the Native American story is told through the prism of white experience rather than through a more indigenous one.

From initial appearances, Yukon could run the risk of contributing to that trend. But she manages to transcend the charge of cultural ransacking by bowing in humble acknowledgment to her sources, and keeping her passion in the right place.

* Nora Yukon, “Dancing with the Universal Kin,” through July 20 at gallery one one one, 111 S. Dos Caminos Ave. in Ventura. Call 641-0111.

Broken and Remade: Mark Mueller’s show of ceramic and raku pieces, at the Buenaventura Gallery, goes by the title “Beauty in the Brokenness,” but the work here is anything but broken or unfinished. Conscientious craftsmanship and often dazzling surface finishes leave us with the impression of the artist as someone with a confident sense of purpose.

Ceramic pieces of varying sizes and forms often have a delicacy that suggests the influence of Japanese design. The iridescent blue glaze finish is the point with some works, tellingly titled “Cerulean” and “Copper Blue.”

Mueller often lavishes his pieces with philosophy-waxing titles--”Loosed Bonds,” “Changes,” and “Seize the Day.” Biblical references, such as his “Nuvo Caananite Jug,” slip in. But, elsewhere sublime turns ridiculous and puns are allowed, as with “Hands On Experience,” a vessel decorated with handprints.

Take away the extra-visual references in Mueller’s work, and you have a strong exhibit of vessels-cum-sculptures that exude charm on their own merits.

* Mark Mueller, “Beauty in the Brokenness,” through July 13 at Buenaventura Gallery, 700 E. Santa Clara St. in Ventura. Call 648-1235.