Artwork copyright Robert Maki. Photo courtesy of the artist, 1976.

Artwork copyright Robert Maki. Original 1977 installation. Photo courtesy of Washington State Arts Commission (black and white photo).

Artwork copyright Robert Maki. Original 1977 installation. Photo courtesy of Washington State Arts Commission (black and white photo).

Artwork copyright Robert Maki. Original 1977 installation. Photo courtesy of Washington State Arts Commission, by Jim Ball (black and white photo).

Artwork copyright Robert Maki. Original 1977 installation. Photo courtesy of Washington State Arts Commission (black and white photo).

Artwork copyright Robert Maki. Photo courtesy of the artist, 1976.

Trapezoid Square, 1976

Robert Maki
American (born 1938)

Location: The Evergreen State College, Olympia

About the Artwork

Trapezoid Square by Robert Maki explores geometry's elements of lines and planes. The sculpture also plays with what the viewer sees from different angles and approaches – it can look very different from different viewpoints. 

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

About the Artist

Northwest artist Robert Maki creates abstract sculptures that explore geometry and carefully consider the viewer's experience. As a student, he studied industrial design, engineering, and drafting which led to his interest in lines, angles, and planes. His sculptures explore the many ways that an object can be seen differently. The direction of the sun, time of day, and weather conditions are often important factors in Maki's sculptures, because they affect how the viewer sees the artworks.
Born in Walla Walla, Southeastern Washington, Maki earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Western Washington University in Bellingham and a Master of Fine Arts degree (1966) from the University of Washington in Seattle. He was honored with a Washington State Governor's Arts and Heritage Award in 2012. His artworks are part of many collections, including Seattle Art Museum and the Smithsonian American Art Museum in Washington D.C. He has long been based in Kingston, on the Kitsap Peninsula, southern Puget Sound, Western Washington.