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Artwork copyright Jim Rittimann. Photo courtesy of Washington State Arts Commission, 2017.
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Artwork copyright Jim Rittimann. Photo courtesy of Washington State Arts Commission, 2017.
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Artwork copyright Jim Rittimann. Photo courtesy of Washington State Arts Commission, 2017.
Untitled (Reconstructions), 1990
Jim Rittimann
American (born 1951, died 2021)
Location: Tacoma Community College, Tacoma
About the Artwork
Artist Jim Rittimann investigates the boundary between the natural world and our creative imagination. This piece is part of artist Jim Rittimann's delicate, complex, and fascinating "Reconstructions" series. To make this creature, the artist first gathers found insect and animal bones and fragments. He cleans these fragments using live beetles (a technique used by natural history museums). He then reimagines and combines the fragments into new, fanciful creatures and figures. Jim Rittimann created this series for Multiples: The Sciences and Art (1991), an exhibition of ten microcollections commissioned to tour Washington State school districts. The microcollections offer different perspectives of ten artists exploring ideas and issues related to science, and ask students to re-consider assumed and widely accepted aspects of science.
This artwork was acquired for the State Art Collection in partnership with Tacoma Community College.
About the Artist
Northwest artist Jim Rittimann (1951-2021) created intricate mixed media sculptures of imagined creatures, constructed from animal bones, feathers, and insect fragments. He notes, “I always like making artworks that play on both sides of your brain, that play on the rational side of how you look at things, and on the irrational side, not describable with words. It stirs the emotions and the imagination.”Born and raised in Texas, Rittiman spent his early career working as a professional rodeo bull rider. He earned a Master of Fine Arts degree in sculpture from the University of Washington in Seattle. For over twenty years, he served as the head preparator and exhibition designer for the Henry Art Gallery at the University of Washington in Seattle.
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