Mike Rathbun sculpture at the Boise Art Museum

Assistant professor of sculpture at Lewis & Clark College, Mike Rathbun, has installed a 190-foot cylindrical sculpture on display now at the Boise Art Museum, from June 25th until November 6th. From the Boise Art Museum’s website on the sculpture entitled The Situation He Found Himself In:

“Portland artist Mike Rathbun has created a monumental circular wood structure designed specifically for BAM’s dynamic eighty-foot Sculpture Court. Made from Pacific Albus (hybrid poplar), the huge oval ascends 20 feet in the air and appears to pierce the outer walls of the Sculpture Court, cross over the outside courtyard and return through the east wall of BAM’s Nelson Gallery. Rathbun’s sculpture is informed by the power of natural elements such as wind and water and the notion of life as a spiritual journey defined through physical experience. The use of wood as his primary medium is particularly relevant for Idaho, a state which built its economy largely on the timber industry, and the city of Boise, whose name is derived from the French Les Bois – city of trees. This complex installation is intended to explore the unique relationship between the medium of wood and the exhibition site.”