Rick Bartow…The Poles

Rick Bartow spoke Friday at the Hallie Ford Museum of art about his recently installed commission at the Museum of the American Indian (part of the Smithsonian) on the Mall in Washington, D.C.  I got some bad pictures of the slide show, but the talk was fascinating featuring Rick, his technical assistant John Bayner (?) and his gallerist Charles Froelich.  The room was packed with many art world favorites as well as Bartow’s friends and family…Lillian Pitt was there in the front row asking interesting questions all the way along…

He made two poles…the raven and the bear…using 700 year old cedar which had to be hollowed out to be attached to a steel column.  Given the size and weight of the wood it was a real logistical adventure, as well as an artistic one…there were drawings…

but the wood carving was beautiful and amazing, revealing these undulating patterns that Bartow feels embody the water and the movement of water…

even as they make feathers…

Here’s the bear pole in the workshop in Newport…

and here’s the raven pole loaded in the truck for the drive across country…

and here they are in place with the proud maker…

Boy we are SO lucky to have Rick Bartow right here in Oregon and willing to talk and tell us a few stories…

Today studio…coffee…cupcakes in the house (Sugar Sugar…yum)…