Artwork copyright Dennis Cunningham. Photo courtesy of Washington State Arts Commission, 2021.

House in the Bay, 1980

Dennis Cunningham
(American, born 1949, died 2021)

Location: Washington State Arts Commission, Lake Stevens

ABOUT THE ARTWORK

House in the Bay is part of artist Dennis Cunningham's ceramic wall sculptures. He considers these artworks architectural fragments and "drawings in clay." He first rolls the clay through a slab roller, leaving the natural edges as part of the final design. He then sketches into the wet clay and dries it for several weeks. He then fires the clay slab, adding painted designs before he fires it for a final time.

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

ABOUT THE ARTIST

Oregon artist Dennis Cunningham (1949-2021) created graphic relief prints and paintings with elaborate and witty visual narratives. His chosen medium was linoleum prints in black ink on white paper. He often focused on landscapes of lakes and streams, with a lone figure engaging in his favorite activity: fishing. His artworks explore personal identity, a sense of place, and environmental concerns.

Born in Medford, Oregon, Cunningham received a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from the Museum Art School (now Pacific Northwest College of Art) in Portland, Oregon in 1975. He was one of the founding members of Blackfish Gallery in Portland. He taught printmaking at Pacific Northwest College of Art and Marylhurst University (both in Oregon).