Artwork copyright Wally Warren. Photo courtesy of Washington State Arts Commission, 2017.

Artwork copyright Wally Warren. Photo courtesy of Washington State Arts Commission, 2017.

Artwork copyright Wally Warren. Photo courtesy of Washington State Arts Commission, 2017.

Empress of the Road, 1989

Wally Warren
American (born 1945)

Location: North Kitsap High School, Poulsbo

About the Artwork

Empress of the Road is a mixed-media assemblage sculpture created by artist Wally Warren. He collected discarded bicycle parts and combined them with painted wood to form this tower-like sculpture. He notes that this piece is part of a body of sculptures that together build a "City of Dreams." He states, "I revel in the myriad forms of discarded man-made objects, the bicycle parts, broom-handles, rubber tubes, and pieces of broken furniture. Each object tells a tale of human endeavor, and in a subtle way, that tale reveals who we are, our hopes, faith, and aspirations. As these objects pour into my life, they become metaphors for all those people who have touched me in some way. In a pile scattered across the studio floor, they are merely chaotic litter. But once they are assembled and juxtaposed into a tangible form they become a richly textured fabric of life. It is up to me to give these objects meaning, and metaphorically speaking, it is up to us to give life meaning."

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

About the Artist

Artist Wally Warren creates mixed-media sculpture using found objects. Born in Maine, he received a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Maine in 1974. He lived in Seattle in the 1980s. He now lives in Ripley, Maine.