Artwork copyright John Hoge. Photo courtesy of the artist.

Sculpted Bench, 2001

John Hoge
(American, born 1953)

Location: Washington State School for the Blind, Vancouver

ABOUT THE ARTWORK

Artist John Hoge carved Sculpted Bench from columnar basalt stone sourced from the Columbia River. He notes, "The basalt is a product of the lava flows that occurred millions of years ago in the vicinity of Moses Lake, Washington. The stone that we use for our sculptures could be qualified as gem-quality basalt crystals… When it breaks naturally, it breaks in concave and convex forms much like flint or glass. When we carve the columnar basalt we use these naturally occurring shapes as our palate of shapes that we carve into the stone."

This artwork was acquired for the State Art Collection in partnership with Washington State School for the Blind.

ABOUT THE ARTIST

Seattle-based artist John Hoge creates stone sculpture and installations for public and private spaces. He states, "Much of the work that I do strives to retain, enhance and abstract naturally-occurring shapes and lines through direct carving techniques. I then use textural gradations and stone polishes to create transitions between natural surfaces and worked surfaces." He received a Bachelor of Arts degree in landscape architecture from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He has served as a guest lecturer at the University of Washington, the University of Oregon, Purdue University, and the University of Wisconsin.