Wood + Metal + Paper = Sculpture

What an all-around tremendous First Friday Artwalk!  September shows are often like that, as the kids head back to school, temperatures begin to cool, and everyone relaxes into old routines, while hoping for an abundant harvest (all you farmers) and a happy upcoming holiday season.

Someone forgot to turn down the heat here at the Gallery, however, and the crowds turned out for a beautiful sculpture show featuring artists Nathan Christopher and Michelle de la Vega. (Please see our most recent artwalk "You're Invited" post for more information on the artists.)   Here's Nathan with his sculpture, La Serena:

This piece is created from a found piece of madrone and mounted on a steel rod with reclaimed marble base.  It is 67" tall x 19" deep.  You can find more information for it here.

Seattle metal artist Michelle de la Vega posed for us beside her wall sculpture Going Home, and behind her table sculpture, God Land:

The God Land piece is of especial interest.  Here's a close-up of it, taken from one end:

As Michelle describes it, it is created from "steel, and photocopies of my maternal grandmother's memoirs about her early life with my grandfather on the sprawling CO Bar and Hashknife ranches in Arizona, and the Navajo Kinlichee reservation."   There are several thousand tiny, carefully folded rolls of personal family history residing in this sculpture.  (Not for sale.)

Going Home, on the other hand, while also deeply personal, is available for purchase (coming to our web shop soon or in the Gallery).  It is created from photocopies of historical family documents going back to two sets of great-grandparents, including birth certificates, death certificates, marriage licenses, WWII ration cards, social security cards, obituaries, report cards, teaching certificates and more.  Framed in an old barn window.

Going Home.  Michelle de la Vega

Several more of Nathan's pieces:

Bye-bye.  Nathan Christopher
Fir on Tigerwood base

Shelf.  Nathan Christopher

Salvaged walnut from an orchard

In Corvallis, Oregon

Tropics. Nathan Christopher
Palm Wood from Costa Rica

And more from Michelle:

Roost.  Michelle de la Vega

Archival ink and charcoal on canvas

Type.  Michelle de la Vega

Burnt paper, archival ink, charcoal, paint, graphite

on concrete board

Steel Headboard.  Michelle de la Vega
Salvaged and new steel

These and other works by Nathan and Michelle will soon be available in our web shop.  The exhibition runs through September at the Gallery.  Please call the Gallery for further information.