Artwork copyright Phillip Levine. Photo courtesy of Washington State Arts Commission, 2017.

Gymnast, 1976, Reconceived 2004

Phillip Levine
(American, born 1931, died 2021)

Location: Washington State Arts Commission, Olympia

ABOUT THE ARTWORK

[no photo available] The bronze sculpture Gymnast depicts a figure reaching as though about to leap, signifying balance and anticipation. Originally created by sculptor Phillip Levine in 1976, it was part of a larger sculpture featuring multiple figures. Phillip Levine reconceived the sculpture in 2004 after the original piece was vandalized at its original location.

This artwork was acquired for the State Art Collection in partnership with North Kitsap School District.

ABOUT THE ARTIST

Northwest artist Phillip Levine (1931-2021) created bronze figurative sculptures for public and private spaces. His sculptures are realistic but with exaggerated or minimized elements such as long limbs. They often play with the elements of balance and movement. In his own words, "All my life I had heard 'The figure is dead.' But I was always drawn to it."

Levine was born in Chicago, Illinois, and grew up in Denver, Colorado. He entered the University of Colorado as a pre-med student and graduated in 1953 with a Bachelor of Arts degree. He earned a Master of Fine Arts degree in sculpture from the University of Washington in Seattle in 1961. He was honored with a Washington State Governor's Arts and Heritage Award in 1997. He has more than 30 sculptures in public places in Western Washington, half a dozen more in Eastern Washington, with others across the U.S.