Artwork copyright R.E. Beans. Photo courtesy of the artist.

Shirt Drawing #5, 1980

R.E. Beans
American (born 1947)

Location: Mercer Island School District, Mercer Island

About the Artwork

Shirt Drawing #5 is a colored pencil drawing by artist R.E. Beans (also known as Larry Knodel). It is part of his series of humorous artworks featuring shirts and clothing. In this drawing, a fish looks out from the waistcoat pocket of a three-piece suit.

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

About the Artist

Northwest artist and teacher Larry Knodel is also known by the name R. E. Beans. He notes, "My work deals with visual puns and enigmatic images that magnify ordinary life events into mildly magic and surreal metaphors. My purpose in doing so is not simply to make visual jokes, but rather to make seriously playful judgments about life and society."
Knodel, aka R. E. Beans, was born in South Dakota. He received an Associate Arts degree from Green River Community College in Auburn, Western Washington. He received a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree and a Master of Fine Arts degree in printmaking from Central Washington University in Ellensburg. He has taught at the University of Arizona in Tucson and at Central Washington University.