Artwork copyright Judith Poxson Fawkes. Photo courtesy of the artist.

Sunken Garden with Reflecting Pool, 1991

Judith Poxson Fawkes
American (born 1941, died 2019)

Location: Seven Oaks Elementary, Lacey

About the Artwork

Sunken Garden with Reflecting Pool is part of artist Judith Poxson Fawkes' series of linen tapestries that depict high-contrast, three-dimensional scenes. The imagery was inspired by classical architecture, such as steps, columns, pools, and arches. Poxson Fawkes noted "my art work comes out of my attraction to fantasy landscape and my delight in the challenge of creating a beautiful and meaningful composition that will not only capture the viewer's eye but move it along the tapestry."

This artwork was acquired for the State Art Collection in partnership with North Thurston Public Schools.

About the Artist

Portland, Oregon-based textile artist Judith Poxson Fawkes (1941-2019) created elaborate, hand-woven tapestries that explore architectural and geometric forms, as well as the interplay of light and color.
Poxson Fawkes' tapestry artworks highlight the figurative possibilities of loom weaving. She designed her compositions using gridded drawings on graph paper. She often used a bird's eye viewpoint and played with the illusion of three-dimensional space on a flat surface by showing multiple sides and shadows of objects.
Poxson Fawkes earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from Michigan State University in 1963 and a Master of Fine Arts degree from the Cranbrook Academy of Art in Michigan in 1965. She moved to Portland, Oregon in 1972, with her husband, artist Tom Fawkes. She taught weaving at four colleges in the Portland area, including Lewis & Clark College. In 1984, she became a full-time studio artist. Her tapestry artworks have been exhibited all across the United States and are in many collections, including the American Crafts Museum in New York City.