Pencil this in – in front of Potter Construction: New sculpture

(Photo courtesy Potter Construction)
The giant pencil on that truck is a West Seattle-based artist’s sculpture with the “write” stuff, and tomorrow, it’s scheduled to get a new home, in front of Potter Construction (WSB sponsor). Here’s the announcement:

At 9 AM on Tuesday, September 20, West Seattle business owner Gary Potter of Potter Construction will begin installation of a larger-than-life sculpture of a yellow pencil on California Ave. SW. The 13.5-foot sculpture is to be installed on the street-side facade of Potter Construction’s main office at 5606 California Ave. SW. Beyond a visible way to display Potter Construction’s inspired knowledge and experience in the art of home remodeling, Potter sees this as an opportunity to be on the cutting edge of community art projects that have a positive effect on West Seattle neighborhoods.

This playful facsimile of an everyday pencil with its bright pink eraser is the creative collaboration of Rock Brothers, under the direction of artist and West Seattle resident Stephen Rock. The sculpture is made from one solid log and was hand-tooled by the three brothers on a very large lathe in their workshop in Ellensburg, WA. The colorful, hand-painted pencil was first seen as part of a larger Rock Brothers’ sculpture titled “Brush Pile” in a juried outdoor exhibit at Cal Anderson Park in 2010. This installation of multiple large-scale paintbrushes, pens, and pencils was part of MadArt in the Park’s mission to “bring art into our lives in unexpected ways and to create community involvement in the arts.”

Beginning tomorrow, every visitor and passerby of Potter Construction’s office at 5606 California Ave SW will experience this blend of joyful art with Potter Construction’s inspired commitment to enlivening everyday lives.

You can scroll down this page to see how the giant pencil was used in the aforementioned “Brush Pile” installation.

13 Replies to "Pencil this in - in front of Potter Construction: New sculpture"

  • AJP September 19, 2011 (8:34 pm)

    Very very cool! We need more fun and funky stuff around here!

  • bridge to somewhere September 19, 2011 (9:05 pm)

    Love it!

  • coffee September 19, 2011 (9:41 pm)

    Absolutely wonderful! Gary is one great guy too! I hope we can get some more fun around West Seattle!

  • Xavier Lopez Jr. September 19, 2011 (10:05 pm)

    This stuff was amazing–forty years ago when Claes Oldenburg and Coosje van Bruggen were doing it the first time. Don’t people get sued for copying another artists work this closely? I sure hope that the artist is bringing something more to this than just recontextualizing a pencil by making it bigger–because that is exactly what Claes does. Honestly, this kind of work only makes us out to be ignorant of what has already happened in Art history. Sure, it’s safe, friendly–etc., etc. and so on–but it has also already been done. On the other hand as long as the city isn’t actually paying for the work then I really don’t have a problem with it.

    • WSB September 19, 2011 (10:52 pm)

      Xavier – 1. If you follow the link at the end, this was part of a larger installation from 2010 involving other pieces. Not quite the same thing. (I’m no art expert but Oldenburg hit my consciousness 30-plus years ago with a huge flashlight installed at the college I was attending, University of Nevada-Las Vegas.)
      .
      2. Thanks for the skywriting link. Haven’t seen that since L.A. Don’t think I’ve ever seen skywriting here – just banner-toting planes … and the Blue Angels’ patterns….

  • out for a walk September 19, 2011 (10:30 pm)

    This is wonderful. Can’t wait to see it. Maybe even when I’m “out for a walk”!

  • metrognome September 20, 2011 (1:49 am)

    hmmm … for some reason, Jimmy Buffett’s ‘Pencil Thin Moustache’ is running through my head …
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tn7l0FJMQD0

  • Yardvark September 20, 2011 (8:55 am)

    Excellent! Love to see our neighborhoods gaining even more character through art!

  • ben September 20, 2011 (9:33 am)

    this is a delightful and welcome addition to our neighborhood. i hope the vandals steer clear.

  • Donna Shirey September 20, 2011 (10:03 am)

    Hooray for Potter Construction. What a vision to bring art to the street. It is a gift for the community and I applaud Gary and Trish Potter for their “whimsical” display…..

    Donna Shirey

  • Elizagrace September 20, 2011 (12:00 pm)

    That will actually be the 2nd large pencil installation in WS… a couple years ago, my brother, a driftwood enthusiast, crafted a pencil out of a huge piece of driftwood, complete with an old can of his baby formula for the tin top. It was a Christmas present for our mom, a local teacher. It has been living in their front garden for about 4 years now.

    Visible from the street, one block off Fauntleroy adjacent to the tennis courts.

  • Avery Aulgut September 22, 2011 (10:50 am)

    This is amazing! But can you actually use it?

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