Category: Sculpture

WHO’S OFFENDED (2025)

WHO’S OFFENDED SOLO ART SHOW (2025)

 

Base Camp 2  Seattle  July 11-Aug 22

 

 

New works. Mixed media and performance. Huge works on paper, vinyl collage, ceramic sculpture, film, cardboard sculpture. 

 

 

 

Artist statement on exhibition:

As a young child (probably 6 or 7) I remember thinking to myself that the world we are born into was damn shitty. I was surprised that the “grownups” would seemingly do so little to ensure each and everyone had what they needed to live and be happy. Growing up poor, these inequalities were all the more obvious as they would be confronted by myself or family on a daily basis. This exhibition is framed in the voice of the underserved, overlooked and the forgotten. This collection of statements stand as truths–factual alongside emotional responses–they may not be ones you want to hear or think about, but they are at the root of rot in this country and across our planet. 

 

 

Link to virtual tour of the exhibition.

 

 

The content of this show centers on police violence, bigotry, lack of concern for human life, greed, corruption, incarceration, and the glorification of war, amongst feelings of distress, frustration, and injustice. Who’s Offended might not be suitable for sensitive audiences (language) parental discretion is advised. 

 

 

The artwork was generated with the aim of recycling as much old materials as possible. Scrap adhesive vinyl, latex paint, cardboard, all repurposed into the works displayed. The space to create this work over the course of two years was donated: thank you to Punk Rock Flea Market, Nii Modo, The Bemis Building, Cannonball Arts, The Muckleshoot Tribe, Degenerate Art Ensemble, and of course Base Camp 2 for providing the space for the exhibition.

The works on paper come from years of creating messages for the street and public consumption. It is the artist’s intention to invite anyone who has access to offer up locations for these paper works to be placed out in the streets. Got a spot you want to see this work, it could be a wall, or a building, or inside a warehouse, or on a bus, or in your living room. Reach out and start a conversation: ezramdickinson@gmail.com

 

 

For the opening of the show an evening of entertainment was curated by Ezra featuring spoken word by Nahaan, performance duet by Donald Byrd and Ezra Dickinson, the band Seize the Means played a set, and DJ WIZDUM was the sandwich of the evening providing revolutionary sounds for the start, inbetweens and to close down the night. To end the exhibition DJ WIZDUM came through again to provide an evening of sounds to dance the show to a close.

   

 

Throughout the show every Friday at 3pm, there was a live and open to the public reading conducted by Ezra, of the typewriter submissions. The typewriter submissions were an interactive element of WHO’S OFFENDED, show attendees were prompted to interact though the portal of a manual typewriter. Prompts for submission were provided in the form of three categories, Requests for Apology, Sharing of a Confession, or Open Share. This anonymous interactive offering was aimed to provide the gallery goer a chance to express anything that might arise while viewing the show, or share something that might have been weighing on the mind of the attendee related or unrelated. This element offered a path to both feel in a tactile sense via the typewriter the feeling of capturing one’s thoughts and further to give the participant a way to add to the textual fabric of the exhibition. All readings were filmed and will be compiled into a short film for viewing, link coming soon.

 

 

 

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BUTTER (2024)

Cearmic butter dish (2024)

 

 

Ceramic hand built butter dish. Cone 5 with over glaze. Created for a butter party, purchased by a huge fan of butter.

 

 

 

FREE THE YOUTH (2023)

(2023) cardboard sculpture, performance and film

 

Let me preface this by saying, youth incarceration is a mistake made by a society that has lost its ability to properly care for its youngest citizens. In my experience American incarceration aims at nothing more than to punish, no real path to rehabilitation is ever encouraged, only creating comradery between those who have similar convictions sharing how to be a better criminal upon release. I’m pretty skeptical generally of locking anyone in a box and keeping them there, its even more obvious that locking a child in a box is just another form of torture. A trauma that we as a country continue to live through the results of on a daily basis. I constructed these 88” tall, 24” wide, 10” deep cardboard letters. Made entirely from recycled cardboard, wood glue, and recycled paint. The Degenerate Art Ensemble gave me space to construct March of 2023. I then organized a small parade to transport the letters to a new space provided by Nii Modo where they could be painted. Over the next three months the letters received a paint job, and the final parade was organized and executed. Involving the community in the paradeing of these letters to their final resting location outside the youth detention center in Seattle was a very satisfying conclusion to this journey. The final stage of the parade was attended by a writer (Claude Souvenir) capturing the reactions of the public to our FREE THE YOUTH walk.

 

Notes on a Procession. By Claude Souvenir

 

Concept, build, and direction by Ezra Dickinson

Sound Composed by WIZDUMB

Edited by Doug Arney

This project made possible with support from Degenerate Art Ensemble, Punk Rock Flea Market/NII MODO, Benjamin, Anthony, Dani, Nahaan, Maia, Hannah, Jodi, Paul, Aubry, Kristen, VK, Mandy, Cash, Shawn, Kaleb, Mallory, Jeffery, Victoria, Daniel, and Alison.

 

 

Photo: Anthony Rigano

Photo: Anthony Rigano

Photo: Anthony Rigano

Gallery Bunkawitz (2022)

(2022) Gallery Bukawitz

 

In memory of a great cat (Bunkawitz) Seattle’s tiniest gallery has been formed. Curated by Danielle Blackwell, Tim Fowler and myself Ezra Dickinson, we aim to give our neighborhood and anyone who wonders by a little taste of the creations regularly being made here at our home. New exhibits every two months, starting September 2022. You can follow Gallery Bunkawitz on instagram @gallery_bunkawitz

 

  

     

Button Blanket (2022)

 

(2022) Button Blanket, sewn regalia

In 2020 along with the naming ceremony of Kaaseiyi I was formally adopted by the Killer Whale house of the Tlingit tribe. I was given the name of Yaanax loosely meaning, meticulous with space. I was adopted by one of my oldest friends Nahaan, someone who I have called my brother for years. The adoption in retrospect makes sense, but at the time came as quite a surprise to me. These are photos showing work on my button blanket, regalia used for celebrations, ceremonies and dancing. This killer whale design was gifted to me by Nahaan. As time goes by I will decorate this blanket with buttons, and beads.

Puzzel Luchador (2017)

(2017) Visual art mask.

 

Luchador mask created for Urban Artworks 2nd Annual Benefit Auction. Made from the trimmed, hole punched petals of the Monkey Puzzle Tree. Spray painted chrome gold, brass chrome and hand sewn to create the look of armor.

 

Photo Danielle Blackwell

YENOM WEN (2017)

(2017) Installation by The New Mystics collective, CoCA, Seattle WA.

 

For this commissioned work, the New Mystics sourced discarded clothing from the streets of Seattle, and mirrors from craigslist. We fabricated black mirror letters that mounted to the wall and created all needed hardware. We glass etched the mirrors, and created a reflected point of observance revealing our collective question to the city. YENOM WEN NEW MONEY, what will Seattle do with the influx of cash, will a more equitable culture be ushered in or will tech destroy the last grasps of anything cool or derelict, full of character and creativity. This show navigated the space between being complicit in the current homeless struggle and reflecting on one’s disconnection between detritus and desire. We ask the question, what role will philanthropy play in this new frontier? 

 

Public Action (2017)

(2017) Commissioned public art sculpture, Velocity 2. Seattle WA

 

Speaking to the needs of our city and region. Expressing thoughts that have to be seen, heard and acted upon. A sense of permission emerges as one contributes clear messages into the public realm. We must do better to support the most vulnerable among us, we must recognize factually the displacement taking place in this area. We can not stand idly by as this effects all of us. Cardboard letters created with the help of artists Angel179 and NKO, approximate size 20′ by 20′. 

 

HUMANITY (2016)

(2016) Spontaneous public installation, Seattle.

 

Three dimensional cardboard letters, painted with acrylic paint. Humanity is shown left out in the rain to be reclaimed by nature or possibly a timely passerby.

 

Becia Orix (2016)

(2016) Ceramic Sculpture.

 

This piece has been quite a long time in the making. The investigation began with building a cardboard armature to provide a foundation for slabs of clay to be placed on. Upon drying I realized that even though the cardboard had been essentially tenderized, it was still to rigid for the clay in its drying process, and thus was making the clay crack. After four attempts of trying to tweak different things in the hopes of making the drying process not result in cracks of various sizes. I decided to pull the armature out after a day of drying, when I did this I was able to get the piece to dry with out cracking. Then began an unintentionally long glazing process, time and life took over and only a little bit of color could be added each week. Hand Built, low fire, underglaze with over glaze and wax resist. Approximate dimensions 14″x13″x6″.

 

Becia Orix