Michael Peterson: Evolution/Revolution

This catalogue details the Evolution/Revolution exhibition at the Bellevue Arts Museum in Bellevue, Washington—and later at the Center for Art in Wood in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania from November 2010 to February 2011. The exhibition represented the first comprehensive look at the poetic sculpture of Michael Peterson. Inspired and heavily influenced by the Northwest coast’s atmospheric and geographical features, Peterson has left an indelible mark on his craft through his interpretation of his surroundings. This groundbreaking exhibition follows the unique artistic trajectory of his work over the past twenty years. Throughout his oeuvre, Peterson has centered on the spiritual universe, interpreting it in the visible components of the natural world. This exhibition traces the evolution of Peterson’s early works; whose outcomes were heavily dictated by the lathe—the mechanical tool wood turners typically use to produce symmetrically shaped objects—to the most current works that illustrate