Artwork copyright David Eisenhour. Photo courtesy of the artist.

Artwork copyright David Eisenhour. Photo courtesy of the artist.

Artwork copyright David Eisenhour. Photo courtesy of the artist.

Artwork copyright David Eisenhour. Photo courtesy of the artist.

Artwork copyright David Eisenhour. Photo courtesy of the artist.

Artwork copyright David Eisenhour. Photo courtesy of the artist.

Artwork copyright David Eisenhour. Photo courtesy of the artist.

Artwork copyright David Eisenhour. Photo courtesy of the artist.

Artwork copyright David Eisenhour. Photo courtesy of the artist.

Artwork copyright David Eisenhour. Photo courtesy of the artist.

Artwork copyright David Eisenhour. Photo courtesy of the artist.

Artwork copyright David Eisenhour. Photo courtesy of the artist.

Artwork copyright David Eisenhour. Photo courtesy of the artist.

Artwork copyright David Eisenhour. Photo courtesy of the artist.

Artwork copyright David Eisenhour. Photo courtesy of the artist.

Artwork copyright David Eisenhour. Photo courtesy of the artist.

Artwork copyright David Eisenhour. Photo courtesy of the artist.

Artwork copyright David Eisenhour. Photo courtesy of the artist.

Artwork copyright David Eisenhour. Photo courtesy of the artist.

Artwork copyright David Eisenhour. Photo courtesy of the artist.

Artwork copyright David Eisenhour. Photo courtesy of the artist.

Artwork copyright David Eisenhour. Photo courtesy of the artist.

Sense of Place, 2018

David Eisenhour
(American, born 1959)

Location: Ocosta Elementary School, Westport

ABOUT THE ARTWORK

Sense of Place by artist David Eisenhour is an installation of sixteen bronze sculptures that reflect our connections to nature. He cast the large sculptures based on much smaller objects gathered by Ocosta Elementary School students and himself on the local beaches near Westport. He notes, "These building blocks of ocean life around Westport, taken out of scale, reveal the beauty and complexity of life." The real organic specimens are mounted in a case inside the school. Eisenhour hopes that this gives the students a sense of pride in being part of the artistic process and "a sense of the beauty and wonder of the place they live.”

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

ABOUT THE ARTIST

David Eisenhour is a sculptor whose art portrays and interprets natural forms and tells stories of natural history, human experience, and environmental issues. He states, "Magnification informs my art. Looking at bits of the natural world under the microscope is my connection to the building blocks of life. The recognition of repetitive patterns gives me sense of belonging to something grand." Most of his sculptures are cast in bronze. He continues to experiment with other mediums including stone, found objects, concrete, coal, and printmaking.

Born and raised in rural Pennsylvania, Eisenhour served in the U.S. Army for four years. Two of those years were spent in Germany where he had access to a large darkroom for developing film and explored his first artistic medium: black and white photography. Upon returning home, he trained as a fabricator for a foundry in Virginia state doing welding, assembly, and finish work on sculptures. In 1992, David moved to Washington to join Riverdog Fine Arts Foundry, in Chimacum, on the Olympic Peninsula. He worked in all phases of the casting process with Northwest artists including Tony Angell, John Hoover, Tom Jay, Phillip Levine, Phillip McCracken, and Ann Morris. His work was greatly influenced by these interactions. In 2003, David left Riverdog to work full time on his own art in Port Hadlock, on the Olympic Peninsula in Northwestern Washington.