WEBVTT 00:00:21.293 --> 00:00:23.560 John Feodorov: I'm real interested  in using, like, kitsch objects 00:00:23.560 --> 00:00:27.162 and trying to create spiritual-like altars. 00:00:32.360 --> 00:00:37.775 This sort of weird disneyfication of  nature that happens in western society, 00:00:37.775 --> 00:00:42.691 you know, whereas in native mythologies,  animals are extremely powerful totem symbols, 00:00:43.191 --> 00:00:46.146 demanding, you know, fear and respect. 00:00:46.541 --> 00:00:52.118 So those contradictions are  real important in my work. 00:00:52.301 --> 00:00:56.782 You know, in kind of trying to blend  them into sort of a hybrid mythology. 00:01:01.840 --> 00:01:12.320 "Forest at night" is made up of 12 trees.  Each tree has 12 arms on each side. 00:01:12.320 --> 00:01:18.110 And 12 is something that's important  in both Christian and Navajo mythology. 00:01:19.880 --> 00:01:24.520 And then, in a little plate in front  of each tree stump is some sawdust, 00:01:24.520 --> 00:01:28.721 sort of like ashes of someone who's been cremated. 00:01:31.240 --> 00:01:35.320 I'm more interested in the ambiguity.  I think the ambiguity is where, 00:01:35.320 --> 00:01:37.895 you know, the spiritual lies. 00:01:42.520 --> 00:01:46.120 That's how Navajos sing "Old Macdonald." 00:01:46.120 --> 00:01:49.600 Woman: yes, I'm riding my donkey up the hill. 00:01:49.600 --> 00:01:52.240 [ singing in Navajo ] 00:01:52.240 --> 00:01:54.377 That's how he bumps up and down. 00:01:55.081 --> 00:01:59.935 Woman: Sing with grandma. [ singing in Navajo ] 00:01:59.935 --> 00:02:03.869 Feodorov: I have this background  of a traditional Navajo 00:02:04.440 --> 00:02:09.600 and this sort of outsider Christian  background of Jehovah's Witnesses, 00:02:10.200 --> 00:02:12.608 which are completely opposed to each other. 00:02:13.560 --> 00:02:18.319 And I'm, like, in the middle, trying to  kind of, you know, make sense out of it. 00:02:20.280 --> 00:02:22.500 Grandma: This is grandpa again with his horses. 00:02:23.357 --> 00:02:28.480 And grandma with her horse and hillary  ready to go somewhere, to a powwow. 00:02:29.184 --> 00:02:32.960 Feodorov: my grandmother was a hand trembler. 00:02:32.960 --> 00:02:36.760 And people would go to her, and her hand  would begin to tremble and she would, 00:02:36.760 --> 00:02:38.720 like, answer questions for them. 00:02:38.720 --> 00:02:41.640 And hand tremblers sort of, are oracles. 00:02:42.516 --> 00:02:44.604 Grandma: here's grandma and grandpa again. 00:02:45.480 --> 00:02:50.260 And then -- oh, here you are.  You're walking with Grandpa. 00:02:50.812 --> 00:02:55.640 Feodorov: I spent just about every summer  with my grandparents on the reservation 00:02:55.640 --> 00:02:58.220 until probably, like, 15. 00:02:59.343 --> 00:03:03.740 Grandmother: Grandpa always looks  so serious, but he's very comical. 00:03:05.072 --> 00:03:07.320 Feodorov: well, my grandfather  used to be a yei be chei dancer, 00:03:07.320 --> 00:03:11.640 which is one of the ritualistic  dances, where they put on the mask, 00:03:11.640 --> 00:03:13.720 and they become the gods. 00:03:13.720 --> 00:03:17.916 You know, when they start dancing,  the spirit enters into them. 00:03:20.600 --> 00:03:26.791 The bear is a very, very powerful totem  symbol for Native American cultures. 00:03:30.520 --> 00:03:35.041 Behind these masks are cuddly, cute little faces. 00:03:37.040 --> 00:03:42.280 It's turning these teddy bears  into powerful totem symbols, 00:03:42.280 --> 00:03:44.431 sort of giving them back their power. 00:03:45.040 --> 00:03:49.280 But also they would be products  that consumers could buy. 00:03:49.280 --> 00:03:52.422 So at the same time, we'd be  stripping them of their power. 00:03:54.440 --> 00:03:59.720 They're just sort of examples of the  issue of commodifying spirituality. 00:04:01.640 --> 00:04:03.600 People think that, you know,  many times when they buy – 00:04:03.600 --> 00:04:07.080 or at least the advertising  wants people to believe that 00:04:07.080 --> 00:04:10.160 buying something will change their  lives or have an effect on their lives. 00:04:10.160 --> 00:04:14.203 Well, this is something that is  just outright telling you that. 00:04:16.240 --> 00:04:19.953 I made a little handbook that  would accompany your purchase. 00:04:20.600 --> 00:04:24.600 "Congratulations, you have just purchased  the most important product of your life. 00:04:24.600 --> 00:04:26.800 If your life is not going  the way you wish it would, 00:04:26.800 --> 00:04:29.760 chances are you have somehow  offended your totem teddy. 00:04:29.760 --> 00:04:33.680 If this is the case, use the  handy spinning oracle to determine 00:04:33.680 --> 00:04:36.680 what you must do to appease  your offended totem teddy." 00:04:36.680 --> 00:04:39.000 And it always goes to "Try again." 00:04:41.600 --> 00:04:43.880 "Warning -- the consumer must use extreme caution 00:04:43.880 --> 00:04:47.040 when performing any of the  following dances and chants." 00:04:49.400 --> 00:04:53.000 You know, like Christians, you know,  "Please, God, forgive me for this," 00:04:53.000 --> 00:04:54.560 or, you know, "Please, God, let me have..." 00:04:54.560 --> 00:04:57.000 You know, there's none of  that in Navajo mythology. 00:04:57.000 --> 00:05:01.320 You basically do the ritual  and it has to go right. 00:05:01.320 --> 00:05:03.726 If, you know, your situation has to be corrected. 00:05:04.640 --> 00:05:06.986 If it's not, well, it's because  you did the ritual wrong. 00:05:09.480 --> 00:05:14.735 I'm not debunking spirituality,  I'm not making fun of it, I am… 00:05:16.600 --> 00:05:18.964 well, yeah, I am. 00:05:21.320 --> 00:05:28.479 But the thing is is that it's only  because I think it's necessary. 00:05:33.120 --> 00:05:35.120 Years of spoon-bending research has shown 00:05:35.120 --> 00:05:38.360 that employees who frequently  journey to the world of the dead 00:05:38.360 --> 00:05:41.063 come back as highly motivated employees, 00:05:41.520 --> 00:05:45.616 exactly what you need to  be on top and stay on top. 00:05:46.320 --> 00:05:49.480 That's why we developed the Office Shaman. 00:05:49.480 --> 00:05:52.673 But, you're probably asking  yourself, where's the shaman? 00:05:53.320 --> 00:05:54.800 That's the beauty part. 00:05:54.800 --> 00:05:59.280 We have highly trained licensed shamans  available to guide your employees 00:05:59.280 --> 00:06:00.729 through their spirit quests. 00:06:02.080 --> 00:06:05.200 Here's a potential motivated employee right now. 00:06:05.200 --> 00:06:06.040 What's your name, sir? 00:06:06.040 --> 00:06:06.880 It's Paul. 00:06:06.880 --> 00:06:11.780 Paul, now, don't be afraid, but I kill you  from the south, I kill you from the east. 00:06:11.780 --> 00:06:15.280 Feodorov: Paul Stewart and I have  been collaborating on music and, 00:06:15.280 --> 00:06:18.240 sort of, performance art  pieces for almost 20 years. 00:06:18.240 --> 00:06:23.200 –You're passing through the  world of fire, of water. 00:06:23.200 --> 00:06:28.100 I am now going to sprinkle you with  the grave dirt of your ancestors. 00:06:29.413 --> 00:06:33.152 The animal spirits have now been  pacified. And here are their messages. 00:06:35.760 --> 00:06:41.640 Paul, stand up. Welcome back. How do you feel? 00:06:41.640 --> 00:06:42.840 I feel fine. 00:06:42.840 --> 00:06:44.560 Now, back to work. 00:06:44.560 --> 00:06:45.935 Thanks, Office Shaman. 00:06:49.628 --> 00:06:51.680 Feodorov: I'm still not really  interested in making comfortable works, 00:06:51.680 --> 00:06:55.467 like Matisse said, you know, that  art should be like a comfy chair. 00:06:56.000 --> 00:06:57.921 I think it should be provoking. 00:07:07.640 --> 00:07:13.360 Since I knew that these were paintings  that were going to be in office spaces, 00:07:13.360 --> 00:07:17.000 I wanted to create paintings that were  showing the environment that, you know, 00:07:17.000 --> 00:07:18.413 that the workers were in. 00:07:20.640 --> 00:07:23.160 Seeing the corporation as like a heaven. 00:07:23.160 --> 00:07:26.501 You know, you have all these  different steps of deities. 00:07:29.680 --> 00:07:34.086 The composition is obviously modeled  on, like, early medieval icons. 00:07:37.760 --> 00:07:42.040 The CEO is seated in the throne  like a Christ figure would be 00:07:42.040 --> 00:07:45.600 in the tympanum area of a cathedral. 00:07:45.600 --> 00:07:48.560 And the hand is shaped like a pose, you know, 00:07:48.560 --> 00:07:53.025 that the Christ figure makes, which  is a blessing pose for the hand. 00:07:53.520 --> 00:07:55.751 Of course, you know, he's stuck a cigar in there, 00:07:56.360 --> 00:07:59.440 which has completely defiled that tradition. 00:08:03.000 --> 00:08:07.120 And to see the CO as, you know, 00:08:07.120 --> 00:08:11.351 not just a guy that gets paid  a big salary, but as a deity. 00:08:14.320 --> 00:08:20.208 On very few paintings have I known what I  was going to do when I started the painting. 00:08:21.160 --> 00:08:24.794 For me it has to happen as I'm doing it, you know? 00:08:26.640 --> 00:08:31.240 It's a battle for me, it always is. It's  like this canvas is like mocking me, 00:08:31.240 --> 00:08:35.434 saying, you know, I dare you  to make something out of me. 00:08:36.760 --> 00:08:41.360 So it's something for me that's not really an  enjoyable process, it's a struggle, you know? 00:08:41.360 --> 00:08:43.868 And I guess I like the struggle.