There is nothing that says 'I am here' as simply or directly as a gestural mark. Such marks express a sense of individuality, captured in a moment. In an art world where print is ubiquitous questions about the mechanics of production and about what is 'original' and what is 'copy' proliferate. I am interested in the paradox whereby 'original' is considered authentic and 'duplication' is discredited - yet the copy reinforces the value of the 'original'. I have been exploring this paradox through printmaking and sculptural multiples. My recent work has focused on the totem - traditionally a being, an object or symbol that reminds a group of people of their ancestry or mythic stories. They can provide a means of coping with a way of life in which the physical environment and society chafe against each other.