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Artist/Maker
Margaret Jacobs
(Akwesasne Mohawk, born 1986)
Date2023
MediumBlackened steel and found objects
DimensionsOverall (2025.25.1): 35 × 8 × 3 1/2 in. (88.9 × 20.3 × 8.9 cm)
Overall (2025.25.2): 31 1/2 × 8 1/2 × 3 1/4 in. (80 × 21.6 × 8.3 cm)
Overall (2025.25.3): 36 1/2 × 5 × 3 1/4 in. (92.7 × 12.7 × 8.3 cm)
Overall (2025.25.4): 29 × 8 3/4 × 3 in. (73.7 × 22.2 × 7.6 cm)
Credit LinePurchase, William G. Roehrick '34 Art Acquisition and Preservation Fund
Object number2025.25.1-4
Not on view
DescriptionMargaret Jacobs works primarily in steel because she enjoys the dichotomy of creating natural, delicate-looking sculpture from a man-made material that is both hard and unforgiving. Jacobs employs traditional blacksmithing techniques, raising awareness of her trade through organizations like The Society of Inclusive Blacksmiths. An enrolled member of the Akwesasne Mohawk tribe, Jacobs first created the Old Growth series in 2019 as a reflection on her rural upbringing that involved repairing and reusing objects. The plants featured in her sculptures bear medicinal and ceremonial significance to the Akwesasne people. The Wellin artworks from 2023 depict:
Strawberries— the first fruit of harvest brought to the world by Skywoman, ushering in summer and representing life, health, and new beginnings.
Blueberries— readily available in the North American climate, they can be dried and used as a natural food preservative.
Sage— used for ritual smudging as a form of purification. When burned in an abalone shell, the smoke is spread with an eagle’s feather to unify the earth, air, and spirit.
Maple— collecting sap signifies the end of winter and a time to thank the Creator.
Each plant sculpture hangs from a wrench, honoring the Mohawk Skywalkers who traveled weekly from their homes in Northern New York and Canada to perform dangerous work in urban areas, particularly New York City, constructing skyscrapers.
Additional Details
Exhibition History
2024
"Homelands: Contemporary Haudenosaunee Art Across New York", Binghamton University Art Museum, September 5 - December 7, 2024.
"Homelands: Contemporary Haudenosaunee Art Across New York", Binghamton University Art Museum, September 5 - December 7, 2024.
Markings
Wrenches all have various makers marks:
2025.25.1
Recto, wrench handle (stamped): "1-1/4-3212-H"
Verso, wrench handle (raised): "KLEIN TOOLS"
2025.25.2
Verso, wrench handle (raised): "KLEIN TOOLS INC"
2025.25.3
Verso, wrench handle (raised): "ARMSTRONG / U-S-A-"
2025.25.4
Recto, wrench handle (stamped): "7/8"
Recto, wrench handle (raised): "X / T"
Verso, wrench handle (stamped): "HARDENED"
2025.25.1
Recto, wrench handle (stamped): "1-1/4-3212-H"
Verso, wrench handle (raised): "KLEIN TOOLS"
2025.25.2
Verso, wrench handle (raised): "KLEIN TOOLS INC"
2025.25.3
Verso, wrench handle (raised): "ARMSTRONG / U-S-A-"
2025.25.4
Recto, wrench handle (stamped): "7/8"
Recto, wrench handle (raised): "X / T"
Verso, wrench handle (stamped): "HARDENED"
Renée Stout
Date: 2008-10
Medium: Acrylic, latex paint, spray paint, plastic rhinestones, wood, glass, metal, varnish, collage, and found objects
Object number: 2016.2
Krista Steinke
Date: 2006
Medium: Archival inkjet print
Object number: 2020.8.17
Henri Gaudier-Brzeska
Date: c. 1913
Medium: Seravazza and Sicilian marble
Object number: 2005.6.2
Karl Blossfeldt
Date: 1929
Medium: Rotogravure
Object number: 2009.2.2
Letha Wilson
Date: 2016
Medium: Archival inkjet print collage
Object number: 2017.10.4
Silvia Saunders
Date: c. 1931-1937
Medium: Gelatin silver print
Object number: 1969.7.7
Silvia Saunders
Date: c. 1938
Medium: Gelatin silver print
Object number: 1969.12.4
Silvia Saunders
Date: 1933
Medium: Gelatin silver print
Object number: 1969.11.5