A trio of highly detailed sculptures comprise Eric Nelsen’s Memory, Myth, Motif, each meticulously assembled from multiple castings: Pilgrim Flask on Wheels with Figure Riding, Vessel Merchant’s Caravan, and Inkstand with Spinario, A Boy Removing a Thorn from His Foot. Connected by themes of procession, meditation, and myth, the clay pieces subtly reference the work of Joseph Cornell and Isamu Noguchi, as well as ancient sculptural traditions.

Growing up in Seattle’s Capitol Hill neighborhood, Nelsen spent many hours at the original Seattle Art Museum in nearby Volunteer Park, studying the artifacts in the collection. In his early 20s, a mentorship with Noguchi led Olsen to a residency in Japan, where he trained in traditional Japanese ceramic techniques. Upon returning home to Washington, he built a traditional Japanese anagama kiln in a studio on Vashon Island, which he still operates today. Wood-fired over several days at temperatures as hot as 2,500 degrees Fahrenheit, the kiln produces earthy patinas on the finished ceramics as the wood ash interacts with the clay to create a rich, variegated surface. Nelsen’s anagama kiln can be seen in the Peter deLory photograph that serves as a backdrop to Memory, Myth, Motif. Like Nelsen’s sculptures, deLory’s photo is permanently installed next to the elevators off the main lobby of Harborview’s Ninth & Jefferson Building.

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Nelsen typically assembles many diverse objects and images into his sculptures, combining elements from popular culture, Japanese ceramics, and modern European painting. His work has been exhibited throughout the United States.

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Harborview Medical Center

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