Beschreibung:

JAMES W. WASHINGTON, JR. (1909 - 2000) Life. Carved stone, mounted on a wooden pedestal, 1971. 1651x444x444 mm; 65x17 1/2x17 1/2 inches (overall); 711x432x229 mm; 28x17x9 inches (without the pedestal). Carved initials "J.W.W." and date on verso. Provenance: Foster White Gallery, Seattle, WA; private collection, Seattle, WA. Life is a significant, large stone carving by Seattle artist James W. Washington, Jr. Inspired by his parents who were devoted Baptists, Washington often sought spirituality in his artwork and his parents highly encouraged it. In the 1940s, he studied painting at the Northwest School in Seattle with artists like Mark Tobey who often encouraged Washington's work. Years later, he visited Mexico where he met muralists Diego Rivera and David Siqueiros. There Washington turned to carving after being inspired by a stone he found while walking in Mexico City. Washington felt that the stone "spoke" to him and guided him by a "spiritual force," and he dedicated the rest of his life to working with this material.