John Geldersma’s work is deeply interactive and intensely spiritual. The artist works primarily in wood and has produced a wide array of pieces in archetypal forms, from his hanging “Shamans” to mandala-like totemic sculpture termed “Spirit Poles.” He is perhaps best known for these latter, inspired by primitive fetishes, various trans-historic ritualistic geometric designs and the vibrant cultural milieu of his native southwestern Louisiana. The Spirit Poles are central to the artist’s private mythology and invite meditation and solitary contemplation. Geldersma predominantly employs woods such as pecan, weathered driftwood, and fallen aspen trees from Colorado. His creative process involves studying the wood and seeing the character of it with its twists and turns. Says Geldersma, “I don’t like the straight ones. It’s more like a dance, like a ballet when there’s some movement.”