Artwork copyright Stuart Branston. Photo courtesy of Washington State Arts Commission, 2016.

Artwork copyright Stuart Branston. Photo courtesy of Washington State Arts Commission, 2016.

Artwork copyright Stuart Branston. Photo courtesy of Washington State Arts Commission, 2016.

Artwork copyright Stuart Branston. Photo courtesy of Washington State Arts Commission, by Jim Ball (black and white photo).

Psalm 61, 1975

Stuart Branston
American (born 1943)

Location: Bellevue College, Bellevue

About the Artwork

Psalm 61 is an abstract steel sculpture by artist Stuart Branston. The artwork's plaque features text from Psalm 61 in the Bible's Old Testament: "Lord, when my heart is overwhelmed: lead me to the rock that is higher than I." A psalm is a sacred or religious song or poem. The composition features a cascading curve of overlapping circles. One side rises from the ground and ends at a sphere placed atop a rectangular plinth.

This artwork was acquired for the State Art Collection in partnership with Bellevue College.

About the Artist

Stuart Branston is an Oklahoma-based artist and professor. He received a Bachelor of Fine Arts and a Master of Fine Arts degree from the University of Washington in Seattle. He also taught at Seattle Pacific University before moving to Oklahoma in 1985. He is Professor Emeritus at Oral Roberts University in Tulsa, Oklahoma, where he taught for over 25 years.