Artwork copyright Michael Dennis. Photo courtesy of Washington State Arts Commission, 2021.

Artwork copyright Michael Dennis. Photo courtesy of Washington State Arts Commission, 2021.

Artwork copyright Michael Dennis. Photo courtesy of Washington State Arts Commission, 2021.

Artwork copyright Michael Dennis. Photo courtesy of the artist.

Red Joie, 1995

Michael Dennis
(American | Canadian, born 1941)

Location: Seattle Central College, Seattle

ABOUT THE ARTWORK

Red Joie is an enamel and wood sculpture created by artist Michael Dennis. He sculpted the Cedar by hand using a saw, chisel, and sander. He joined the components into figures. He notes, "When our ancestors lived in caves the firelight cast shadows of their lives on the walls. I try to summon and sculpt those shadows. In this, I reduce the human figure to its simplest elements, to the minimum gesture necessary to yet convey an impression of humanity."

This artwork was acquired for the State Art Collection in partnership with Seattle Vocational Institute.

ABOUT THE ARTIST

Michael Dennis creates figurative sculptures in cedar wood and bronze. He states, "I try to capture the essence of human gesture from a tree using only the minimum definition required."

Born in Los Angeles, Michael Dennis earned a Bachelor of Arts degree at Reed College in Portland, Oregon in 1963. He earned a PhD in neurophysiology from Stanford University in California in 1967. He served as a professor of neurophysiology at University College London (in England) and at the University of California Medical Center. In 1980, Dennis moved to Denman Island, part of the Gulf Islands of British Columbia, Canada, and dedicated himself to art.