John Geldersma (born October 16, 1942, in New Orleans, Louisiana) is known for his wooden sculptures of what he calls "contemporary tribalism".
The artist has cited his early immersion in the intersection of such divergent cultures as French, Spanish, African-American, Caribbean, British, and Native American as a major influence on his art.
[3] Geldersma works with aspen, pecan, weathered driftwood, and salvaged wood to create totemic poles, cairns, and tablets.
Beginning with the raw material, Geldersma first removes the bark with a knife and then works the piece of wood with a chainsaw to get the rough shape.
Using increasingly smaller tools, from grinders to sandpaper and steel wool, Geldersma works the wood into his desired form.