Artwork copyright Ball-Nogues Studio. Photo courtesy of the artist.

Artwork copyright Ball-Nogues Studio. Photo courtesy of the artist.

Artwork copyright Ball-Nogues Studio. Photo courtesy of the artist.

Artwork copyright Ball-Nogues Studio. Photo courtesy of the artist.

Artwork copyright Ball-Nogues Studio. Photo courtesy of the artist.

Artwork copyright Ball-Nogues Studio. Photo courtesy of the artist.

Artwork copyright Ball-Nogues Studio. Photo courtesy of the artist.

Artwork copyright Ball-Nogues Studio. Photo courtesy of the artist.

Secondhand Geology, 2017

Ball-Nogues Studio

Location: Central Washington University, Ellensburg

About the Artwork

Secondhand Geology by Ball-Nogues Studio is a free-standing obelisk, or pillar, made from stacked compressed steel blocks. The sculpture is located next to Central Washington University’s geology department. The pillar references the layers and patterns of a geological core sample. The crumpled steel also embodies the massive forces required to compact it and reminds us of the geological processes occurring below our feet in Ellensburg. The artists were interested in "blurring the distinction between the fabricated and the terrestrial; this means the things that are manufactured by people versus rock and landforms that are made by way of geological forces. We associate the former with the precision of industrial production and the latter with the chance inherent in nature.”

This artwork was acquired for the State Art Collection in partnership with Central Washington University.

About the Artist

Ball-Nogues Studio is a Los Angeles-based design studio that creates public art installations characterized by the intersection of fine art, architecture, and industrial design. The studio is led by artists Benjamin Ball and Gaston Nogues.