I was walking along Taylor Street in Port Townsend the other day (Sept. 2013), and I was grabbed by the sight of giant limpets on a wall. Of course I had to investigate.

What I saw was a solo sculpture exhibit of new work by David Eisenhour. Since I can’t spend nearly as much time underwater as I’d like to, I was eager to explore this show that had been arranged to create the feel of the underwater world. It didn’t disappoint — far from it, I was awestruck by the profound impact of these large and beautifully detailed sculptures.

Eisenhour’s work went beyond literal accuracy to also embrace sardonic and ceremonial interpretations. These were further informed by his study of the dangerous effects of ocean acidification and the degradation of the ecosystem.

David Eisenhour’s Exhibit at Center on Contemporary Art (CoCA) Seattle early 2013

I saw his work at the Simon Mace Gallery (236 Taylor St.) in September 2013. I was there during the weekend of the annual Studio Tour, and Susi Watson not only talked about some of the sculptures, but told me that Eisenhour’s studio was on the Studio Tour. So I drove to his studio and had the pleasure of meeting David Eisenhour himself and seeing more of his extraordinary work.

His show titled “Dialogue with Nature” opens at the Bainbridge Island Museum of Art on March 22, 2014. His marine creature sculptures can be seen online on his web site, but the photos are nothing like seeing the sculptures themselves.

Update: a new display of Ike’s work has been at BIMA during the summer of 2015 and will be there through September. See the blog Confluence: Art & Science for a video of it and more details.