Bird Family is a large work of a mother bird protecting and feeding three nestlings under her wing. The solid black granite metaphorically reinforces the strength of the matriarch, while Washington's sensitive carving conveys a certain intimacy and the fragility of life.
Exhibitions: Bellevue Art Museum, Bellevue, WA, "The Spirit in the Stone: The Visionary Art of James W. Washington, Jr." March 10 - April 16, 1989.
James W. Washington, Jr. was an African-American folk artist who was known for his engaging works in stone. Born in Gloster, Mississippi, Washington settled in Seattle and became a leading member of the Northwest School. Washington’s spirited, but quiet carvings are often seen as a cross between two other direct carvers; the African American Folk Artist William Edmondson (1874-1951) and American sculptor John Flannagan (1895-1942).
Washington's work is represented in numerous private and public collections, including The Smithsonian, the Whitney, SFMOMA and the Seattle Art Museum.
Condition: Excellent. Stamped signature, date and title on wood base, stone initialed, "JWW" and dated "1973."
Price: SOLD
Literature: Karlstrom, Paul J., THE SPIRIT IN STONE: THE VISIONARY ART OF JAMES W. WASHINGTON, JR., Bellevue Art Museum, 1989.; Ament, Deloris Tarzan, IRIDESCENT LIGHT, University of Washington Press, 2002.