Artwork copyright Ries Niemi. Photo courtesy of the artist.

Artwork copyright Ries Niemi. Photo courtesy of the artist.

Big/Little, 2017

Ries Niemi
American (born 1955)

Location: North Creek High School, Bothell

About the Artwork

Big/Little is a pair of stainless steel chairs created by artist Ries Niemi. They are part of a series of 14 chair sculptures titled ‘A Chair to Sit.’ Installed at the entrance of North Creek High School, the chairs encourage play and personal interaction. The artist describes the series as “anti-architecture intimate moments.” This pair of chairs highlight differences in scale, while facing each other to inspire conversation. Niemi notes, “One is larger than life sized, the other is smaller than it should be… The sizes of each makes you think about what is usual, what is accepted, what is assumed.”

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

About the Artist

Artist and craftsman Ries Niemi creates sculptures and public installations using industrial fabrication techniques and industrial materials such as metal, wood, and plastics. He lives and works in the small town of Bow, Northwestern Washington.