Artwork copyright Dennis Cunningham. Photo courtesy of Washington State Arts Commission, 2016.

Moral Tail, 1983

Dennis Cunningham
(American, born 1949, died 2021)

Location: Pateros School, Pateros

ABOUT THE ARTWORK

Artist Dennis Cunningham's surreal, graphic print Moral Tail comments on and references a specific type of evangelical television programming, in which the camera, speaker and audience are all in view simultaneously. Visible in the piece are several Christian symbols, including the tail of a fish, a cathedral, and an abstracted bird.

This artwork was acquired for the State Art Collection in partnership with Pateros 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).