Artwork copyright Johanna Poethig. Photo courtesy of the artist.

Artwork copyright Johanna Poethig. Photo courtesy of the artist (detail).

Artwork copyright Johanna Poethig. Photo courtesy of the artist (detail).

Artwork copyright Johanna Poethig. Photo courtesy of the artist (detail).

Artwork copyright Johanna Poethig. Photo courtesy of the artist (detail).

Artwork copyright Johanna Poethig. Photo courtesy of the artist, 2003 (detail).

Artwork copyright Johanna Poethig. Photo courtesy of the artist (detail).

Artwork copyright Johanna Poethig. Photo courtesy of the artist.

Artwork copyright Johanna Poethig. Photo courtesy of the artist (detail).

Artwork copyright Johanna Poethig. Photo courtesy of the artist.

Flight of the Mind, Exploration of the Heart, 2005

Johanna Poethig
(American, born 1956)

Location: Clark College - Washington State University, Vancouver

ABOUT THE ARTWORK

Johanna Poethig's mural Flight of the Mind, Exploration of the Heart pays homage to the local Vancouver area's contributions to American scientific advancement and history. The mural also depicts three generations of caregivers, acknowledging the Clark College nursing students that use the building. The artwork extends onto the floor with a laser-cut, marmoleum disk that continues the overall composition.

This artwork was acquired for the State Art Collection in partnership with Clark College and Washington State University.

ABOUT THE ARTIST

Johanna Poethig is a visual, public, and performance artist based in California. She reflects on human nature, society, consumerism, and our evolving relationship to the natural world in her paintings, sculptures, and installations. Her performance work includes experimental music and video, influenced by feminism and global politics.

Poethig grew up in the Philippines and has participated in Filipino-American artist collectives and Philippines-based arts projects since the 1980s. She earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from the University of California, Santa Cruz, and a Master of Fine Arts degree at Mills College in Oakland, California. She is Professor Emerita at the Visual and Public Art Department, California State University, Monterey Bay. In 2022 Poethig received the California Arts Council Individual Artist Legacy Award.