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Gumwood
Dimensions: 19.5 x 25 x 18
Purchased through a National Endowment for the Arts grant, 1972

The Artwork

From different angles, this assemblage sculpture can be interpreted several ways. The artist explained To the East by saying, "The concept for this sculpture was based on the visual quality of firewood as it is stacked. I was interested in the shapes created by the split ad sawed wood segments, and by the negative areas created by the manner in which the wood was arranged. The wood forms, I feel, express the visual qualities of oriental building structures and are also reminiscent of a funeral pure."

The Artist

James Henkle earned his Bachelor of Arts from the University of Nebraska where he majored in the visual arts and minored in architecture and mathematics. He also studied industrial design at the Pratt Institute. He then worked at the Dave Chapman Industrial Design Firm in Chicago before beginning a decades long career as Professor of Art at the University of Oklahoma where he served as Acting Director from 1961 to 1962. His work has been featured in solo exhibitions across Oklahoma and as well as in group exhibitions in Colorado, Texas, and Missouri. Primarily known for his sculptures and furniture, Henkle has won numerous awards and received many commissions for work from universities, municipalities, and private collections across the U.S.