Artwork copyright Stuart Nakamura. Photo courtesy of the artist.

Artwork copyright Stuart Nakamura. Photo courtesy of the artist.

Artwork copyright Stuart Nakamura. Photo courtesy of the artist.

Artwork copyright Stuart Nakamura. Photo courtesy of the artist.

Artwork copyright Stuart Nakamura. Photo courtesy of the artist.

Artwork copyright Stuart Nakamura. Photo courtesy of the artist.

Artwork copyright Stuart Nakamura. Photo courtesy of the artist.

Artwork copyright Stuart Nakamura. Photo courtesy of the artist.

Artwork copyright Stuart Nakamura. Photo courtesy of the artist].

Artwork copyright Stuart Nakamura. Photo courtesy of the artist.

Artwork copyright Stuart Nakamura. Photo courtesy of the artist.

Artwork copyright Stuart Nakamura. Photo courtesy of the artist.

Artwork copyright Stuart Nakamura. Photo courtesy of the artist.

Artwork copyright Stuart Nakamura. Photo courtesy of the artist.

The Textures of Memory, 2007

Stuart Nakamura
American (born 1953)

Location: Hanford High School, Richland

About the Artwork

The Textures of Memory by Stuart Nakamura is inspired by the colossal Ice Age floods which tore through the Columbia River basin tens of thousands of years ago. These massive glacial floods created the hills and cliffs that we see today in South Central Washington. When he researched the geography and history of the area, Nakamura was especially captivated by the idea that there could be a sound to those floods. In his own words, he "felt the sound texture of the flood water had to be expressed visually, and therefore the image of stampeding horses came to mind." Nakamura’s sculpture features horses and natural elements at the top of the four columns in the Hanford High School Commons area. The horse imagery is inspired by the romanticized names of the area's landforms such as the Saddle Mountains and Horse Heaven Hills. The natural elements are cliffs with birds, wave patterns representing floods, grassy hills, and trees.

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

About the Artist

Artist Stuart Nakamura creates sculptural, site-specific artworks inspired by the cultural history, location, and character of each setting. He earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in painting from the California College of Arts and Crafts in Oakland in 1977. He lives and works in Seattle, Washington.