Artwork copyright Dennis Cunningham. Photo courtesy of the artist.

Colored Kings, 2001

Dennis Cunningham
(American, born 1949, died 2021)

Location: Birney Elementary, Tacoma

ABOUT THE ARTWORK

Colored Kings is a pastel drawing by artist Dennis Cunningham. It is part of his body of work that investigates our relationship with the Pacific Northwest environment. The artist states, "I endeavor to create a body of work that embraces regional concerns, while intending to produce interest and associations that may resonate beyond the local. I see myself as a visual artist who acts as an observer and a chronicler of my own time and place, dealing with personally significant subject matter."

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

ABOUT THE ARTIST

Oregon artist Dennis Cunningham (1949-2021) created graphic relief prints and paintings with elaborate and witty visual narratives. His chosen medium was linoleum prints in black ink on white paper. He often focused on landscapes of lakes and streams, with a lone figure engaging in his favorite activity: fishing. His artworks explore personal identity, a sense of place, and environmental concerns.

Born in Medford, Oregon, Cunningham received a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from the Museum Art School (now Pacific Northwest College of Art) in Portland, Oregon in 1975. He was one of the founding members of Blackfish Gallery in Portland. He taught printmaking at Pacific Northwest College of Art and Marylhurst University (both in Oregon).