Totem Tape

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Ben Newman a freelance illustrator out of Bristol, England created some new decorative tape featuring a playful totem pole design that we're really liking.  Available at Betty & Dupree's site  HERE. (Via Curiosity Group).

Comments

Unknown said…
this is so cute!
3:25 am, August 26, 2011
Andreae Callanan said…
I don't know... aren't totem poles sacred to the West Coast peoples? I know the totem pole motif shows up on all kinds of touristy items in BC (and I imagine elsewhere along the Pacific), but using it for sticky tape, that just seems to be a bit tasteless, no?
5:06 am, August 26, 2011
Anonymous said…
http://nativeappropriations.blogspot.com/
7:29 am, August 26, 2011
katie [the bright life] said…
This is amazing! I'm tempted to give my entire family totem pole tape for Christmas, but I'd probably think it was cooler than they would. :) Xo, Katie
11:52 am, August 26, 2011
Jan Halvarson said…
Andreae - of course everyone can have their own opinion, and being "west coast peoples" as you put it - we're not offended nor find it tasteless at all.
1:28 pm, August 26, 2011
diandra said…
This is adorable but a direct rip off of First Nations art from the west coast... sooooo good to know that colonization is still rife in craft land! @jan I didn't know that you were First Nations. It would be great if you could put that on your About Me page so that people (ie. me) stop posting about how racist products like this are.
2:25 pm, August 26, 2011
Jan Halvarson said…
diandra - it's ok - everyone has their opinion - and we welcome them. i am not first nations, but earl is (co-founder of Poppytalk) - http://poppytalk.blogspot.com/2010/08/inspiration-plateau-people.html

we don't put it up - just like if your heritage is swedish or japanese - we feel it shouldn't matter.
3:02 pm, August 26, 2011
Anonymous said…
this product is pure cultural appropriation.
8:48 am, August 28, 2011
Ben Newman said…
Thanks to PoppyTalk for featuring the tape and for the comments, folks.

Andreae- I wish the tape was tasteless but I put some in my mouth and it tasted terrible. A bit like glue in fact. Not good.

Diandra- a little liberal there with the term 'racist'.

I love traveling and personally find Native American art and folklore truly incredible fascinating and inspiring. So yes it is culturally appropriated but in today's post modern society, what isn't?
6:34 am, September 29, 2011
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