Art historian Jo Baring’s new book, *Totem*, offers an expansive exploration of sculpture as a profound form of human connection, tracing its origins from prehistoric times to modern-day expression. The book positions sculpture not merely as a physical object but as a vessel carrying human knowledge, community, and imagination across cultures and eras.

Baring begins her narrative by reflecting on the simple pebble—often overlooked yet considered by pioneering sculptors like Barbara Hepworth and Henry Moore as a source of artistic inspiration. She highlights the pebble’s role as a tangible link to the material world and the creative impulse that has driven humans for millennia to shape objects beyond practical utility. According to Baring, these objects, crafted from stone, wood, or metal, function as sculptures that express emotions, identity, and social meaning.

*Totem* diverges from conventional art histories by focusing less on renowned masters such as Auguste Rodin or Michelangelo and more on the human and imaginative dimensions of sculpture. Baring explicitly differentiates statues, such as the bronze likeness of Winston Churchill by Ivor Roberts-Jones in London, from sculptures like Antony Gormley’s *Angel of the North*, which the artist described as “a totem pole for the North East.” This distinction allows Baring to expand the understanding of sculpture as a symbolic entity rather than a mere representation.

Central to the book is the concept of “totem,” a term that Baring traces to the Ojibwe people of the American Northeast, where “ototeman” implies “to dwell together” or shared clan relations. She embraces the term as an inclusive way to frame sculpture’s role in human history. Through examples ranging from the ancient Shigir Idol — a wooden carving twice as old as the Egyptian pyramids — to Mayan pyramids and contemporary works, Baring reveals how sculpture holds meanings related to power, loss, and community.

Her global journey also introduces readers to artists who have expanded the medium’s possibilities, such as Constantin Brancusi, Louise Bourgeois, Yayoi Kusama, and Gormley himself. Baring emphasizes the importance of natural materials and the organic world, noting how artists often drew inspiration from everyday objects like pebbles, bones, and feathers.

Throughout the book, Baring invites readers to reconsider sculpture as a dynamic interplay between object, place, and human spirit. Indian contemporary artist Bharti Kher’s reflections on the artist’s quest to capture the elusive human spirit frame this pursuit, underscoring sculpture’s enduring role as a manifestation of shared human experience.

*Totem* ultimately encourages readers to engage openly and imaginatively with sculpture—to look closely, question, respond, and find personal meaning. Whether confronted with monumental public works or intimate, lesser-known pieces, Baring’s narrative underlines that the value of sculpture lies in its ability to connect us across time and culture, evoking admiration, curiosity, or even amusement, depending on the viewer’s perspective.