Artwork copyright Lawrence Eick. Photo courtesy of Washington State Arts Commission, 2023.

Parfleche, 1981

Lawrence Eick
American (born 1947)

Location: Dayton Elementary School, Dayton

About the Artwork

Parfleche is a hand-cast paper and fabric collage created by artist Lawrence Eick. Its title and form is inpired by a "parfleche" which is a folded, rawhide envelope used by Native American Plains and Plateau Tribes. Eick describes the "parfleche" as a practical item that is used for storing possessions and is essential for nomadic travel. He based the painted geometric patterns on traditional motifs. He notes, "I have attempted to use the rainbow to indicate the motion associated with Plains Indian culture, more importantly their clothing. When viewed from different angles the zigzag pattern will appear as more solidly colored diagonal stripes. When viewed from straight-on and at a distance the rainbow appears to vibrate."

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

About the Artist

Lawrence Eick is a Missoula-based artist and curator. He creates metal and fiber-based artworks.
Born in New York, Eick served in the U.S. Army in South Korea in the late 1960s. He received a Bachelor of Arts degree in art education from Sterling College in Kansas. He received a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in crafts design from the University of Montana in 1975. He worked as curator of the Missoula Museum of the Arts (now Missoula Art Museum) for many years.