Honorable Mention - Open Division
Mary and Cassie Stover
Oklahoma City, OK
Oklahoma Politics
Oklahoma's rich and proud tradition in politics is evident by its Republican and Democratic leaders alike. By incorporating images of the faces of our leaders, and the state capitol where they convene, we hope to present a historic testament to the men and women who have provided, and who continue to provide, outstanding civic service to the state of Oklahoma.
Oklahoma's great diversity in human talent is represented in the photographs of the politicians located in the donkey, and elephant. We have included all of Oklahoma's current State Senators and State Representatives, as well as members of Oklahoma's U.S. Congressional Delegation from the 106th Congress to the 109th Congress (1997 to 2006). All former Oklahoma governors are displayed,, from territorial governors to governors of the state. All of the politicians are labeled with a scroll that provides their title and dates of service. The politicians located inside the elephant are republicans, likewise the politicians located inside the donkey are democrats. We positioned the donkey to the left and the elephant to the right to represent the political views of each party. We wanted to separate the parties, but show them coming together at the state capitol.
Positioning the state capitol in the center of our collage as a focal point was of great importance. We wanted, to showcase the meeting place of our leaders, the battle ground of our elected officials.. The long awaited capitol dome prevails, along with Enoch Kelly Haney's sculpture,. The Guardian, adorning the top. (As Principal Chief of the Seminole Tribe, Haney is pictured at the very bottom of the collage, directly below' his guardian.) Other magnificent sculptures located at the capitol are exhibited.,, Allan Houser's monumental sculpture, As Long as the Waters Flow, is a tribute to Native Americans and is located at the right side of our collage. -A sculpture of a cowboy riding a bucking bronco also graces the outside of the capitol plaza. Entitled, Tribute to the Range Riders by Constance Whitney Warren, it is positioned at the left side of our collage.
Many symbols of Oklahoma are prevalent in the work. One of the most obvious might be the state seal at the bottom center. The five tribes shown on Oklahoma's state seal include, the Cherokee, the Muscogee (Creek), the Chickasaw, the Choctaw, and the Seminole. Because Oklahoma has one of the largest systems of tribal governments in the U.S., we wanted to highlight the great political leaders of each tribe represented on the seal. Each tribal leader is positioned adjacent to their respective tribe's symbol. Many other symbols of Oklahoma are not so obvious at first glance. Our fading yellow, orange, and red sky, symbolizes our beautiful Oklahoma sunsets. Oklahoma's state animal, the buffalo, is camouflaged in the grass to the right of the elephant. Below the the buffalo is our state wild flower, the Indian Blanket. Our state rock, the Rose Rock, acts as a flower in the ear of the donkey. Oklahoma's floral emblem, the Mistletoe, and our state shield are located near the eye of the elephant. Oklahoma's state bird, the Scissor-tailed Flycatcher is perched in a tree to the left of the donkey. Will Rogers, an Oklahoma symbol in his own right and known for his political commentary, is positioned near the leg Of the donkey. These elements easily identify the collage as a representation of Oklahoma.
One of the goals we hoped to achieve during this process was to marry artistic elements with historic elements. We wanted this work to be informative as well as aesthetically pleasing. By using materials such as bright origami paper, brochures, magazines, photocopies, and post cards, we created different textures and color schemes. We arranged the composition so that the elephant and donkey would visually guide the viewer's eye toward the capitol. Many photographs were used so that the viewer can get a sense of just how many people, past and present, have contributed and worked tirelessly to make certain that Oklahoma is enriched. One objective we had was to create a work of art that both Republicans and Democrats could view and enjoy. We wanted the collage to honor the achievements of many Oklahomans, regardless of party affiliation. While working on the project, we ran across a quote from Governor Brad Henry's inaugural address, urging citizens to celebrate Oklahoma's many accomplishments, and to try to put aside political differences to build the best state possible. He said, "We are all Oklahomans first." We tried to keep this, in mind while creating our collage.
Mary Stover'
Cassie Stover
Oklahoma City, OK |
