Lightening the Load

30 x 30″ Oil on Canvas

Inspired by an event during the Lewis and Clark Expedition where a barrel of beads was lost overboard. Trade beads were one of many items brought along on the trip to use as currency and to broach interaction between cultures. What by today’s standards seem to be cheap trinkets were in fact quite expensive goods during early trade in North America. Where the technology required to create these beads was unavailable, the desire to obtain them was great.  Much like digital technology and scientific knowledge is today…