Artwork copyright Michael Fajans. Photo courtesy of the artist, 1979.

Artwork copyright Michael Fajans. Photo courtesy of the artist, 1979.

Artwork copyright Michael Fajans. Photo courtesy of Washington State Arts Commission, 2022.

Artwork copyright Michael Fajans. Photo courtesy of Washington State Arts Commission, 2022.

Artwork copyright Michael Fajans. Photo courtesy of Washington State Arts Commission, 2022.

Artwork copyright Michael Fajans. Photo courtesy of Washington State Arts Commission, 2022.

Artwork copyright Michael Fajans. Photo courtesy of Washington State Arts Commission, 2022.

Artwork copyright Michael Fajans. Photo courtesy of Washington State Arts Commission, 2022.

Artwork copyright Michael Fajans. Photo courtesy of Washington State Arts Commission, 2022.

Magazine Rack, 1979

Michael Fajans
American (born 1947, died 2006)

Location: Washington State Arts Commission, Olympia

About the Artwork

Magazine Rack is a mural by artist Michael Fajans. It is comprised of two panels with irregular borders. He based the composition on a well-known Seattle newsstand, located at the corner of First Avenue and Pike Street in the Pike Place Market. The colors and scale of the figures and images shift and vary. Fajans notes, "The painting tries to reflect the selective nature of vision by using discontinuity and vagueness within what might be an otherwise normal slice of life."

This artwork was acquired for the State Art Collection in partnership with Washington State Arts Commission.

About the Artist

Seattle-based painter Michael Fajans (1947-2006) began his career as a public artist in 1973. His works show visually realistic images that analyze social issues. Large in scale, Fajans’ paintings are rich with emotion. They represent an analysis of human psychology and experience. Before becoming a painter, Fajan received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Dance and Performance Art at Antioch University in Ohio.