The Sky + The Conservation of Angular Momentum
Donald Varnell
Harborview Medical Center
Carved cedar sculptures mix Native traditions with contemporary influences.
A pair of carved Western red cedar sculptures define the elevator lobby on the eighth floor of Harborview’s Norm Maleng building, fusing traditional and contemporary imagery. The Sky and The Conservation of Angular Momentum, both by Haida artist Donald Varnell, are lavishly painted and decorated to reflect Varnell’s modern-day interests as well as his Indigenous roots.
Based in Ketchikan, AK, Varnell challenges perceptions and meanings by imbuing Native carving traditions with imagery from other cultural sources, ranging from Japanese anime to Art Nouveau design.About the Location
Harborview Medical Center
For more than a century, Harborview Medical Center has functioned as a unique community and regional resource. It is a county hospital, a teaching and research institution, a regional trauma and burn center, and the primary health care provider for many low-income and disenfranchised people in the community. Harborview embraces its mission of treating everybody…
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