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The Sky + The Conservation of Angular Momentum

Donald Varnell

Harborview Medical Center

Carved cedar sculptures mix Native traditions with contemporary influences.

Donald Varnell. The Sky, 2009. Carved cedar, acrylic, and wax. Harborview Medical Center, Seattle, WA. King County Public Art Collection. Photo: Spike Mafford

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.

Donald Varnell. The Conservation of Angular Momentum, 2010. Carved cedar, acrylic, and wax. Harborview Medical Center, Seattle, WA. King County Public Art Collection. Photo: 4Culture
Donald Varnell. The Conservation of Angular Momentum (detail), 2010. Carved cedar, acrylic, and wax. Harborview Medical Center, Seattle, WA. King County Public Art Collection. Photo: 4Culture

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…

Read more about the art and artists at Harborview Medical Center. More >

TAGS: 
Carving, Harborview Medical Center, Healthcare, Interior, King County Facilities Management Division, KPAC, Mixed Media, Permanent, Seattle