Artwork copyright Christine Dawson. Photo courtesy of Washington State Arts Commission, 2016.

Time Trilogy: Past, 1982

Christine Dawson
American (born 1952)

Location: Vista Middle School, Ferndale

About the Artwork

Time Trilogy: Past is part of a series of photorealistic paintings by artist Christine Dawson. It investigates how past, present, and future are symbolically woven together. She describes the central imagery of the shell as a token of the past, a relic that "serves as a form of communication between the water and the land; different spaces of time."

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

About the Artist

Christine Dawson creates figurative paintings and drawings that explore metaphysical themes and symbols inspired by European medieval (450-1450) and Renaissance (1300-1700) art. In her recent work, the artist hand-carves intricate wooden frames. She describes her artworks as "magical theaters where plays of relationships, the enchantment of nature, archetypal concepts and states of consciousness are symbolically staged."