In the Studio: Hot, Smoky Walla Walla
Jim spent most of July in Walla Walla, Washington, where the days were hot and the sky heavy with wildfire smoke. Despite the adverse conditions, the momentum inside the Moore Street Studio never slowed down.
Working side by side with Jim throughout the month were Jason Treffry and Byron Peterson.
Below are Jason’s recollections from the past month.
A New Double Venus
Jim finished a major new Double Venus in plaster with found objects, which is now ready to be molded for casting.
The work features two figures built up in plaster and integrated with tools and objects found around the shop. The surface remains raw and white, with chainsaw and rasp marks left exactly where they fell during the sculpting process. From here, the piece heads to the mold-makers before moving into bronze.
Revisiting & Reworking
Alongside creating new forms, the studio spent time this month revisiting and altering four existing sculptures:
Dog on the Forge
Byron removed the original base from Dog on the Forge and used those same elements to fabricate parts for a newly reworked version of the sculpture. The long bronze branch and its hammer now rest directly on the floor, stripped of any structural base underneath.
Two Venuses On A Log
Working from components of that same base, Byron, under Jim’s direction, added new arms to the two Venuses by bending, hammering, and sculpting directly with cast bronze. Cast tools were also incorporated into the composition. Between the new limbs and structural tools, it is essentially a brand-new work.
Pinocchio at Night
Jim and Jason repaired and re-stabilized the base of this key sculpture.
The Stew
A fresh patina was applied to The Stew, a deep green finish that completely shifted the tone and character of the piece.
Last Chance To View
Jim Dine: Choir of Poems
On view through August 28, 2026
The exhibition features large-format paintings collaged with metallic fittings, which extend into the room and blur the line between art and sculpture. Another work, never before exhibited, is the series 49 Views on the North Crescent, where Jim used forty-nine used offset printing plates and created charcoal and pencil drawings on them. In addition to paintings and sculptures, the exhibition also includes a selection of art books, which Jim has been producing for over 30 years in his Göttingen studio in close collaboration with Gerhard Steidl.
Jim Dine: Choir of Poems
On view through August 28, 2026
Kunsthaus Göttingen,
Düstere Straße 7, 37073 Göttingen
Tue-Fri 2pm to 6pm
Sat + Sun 11am to 6pm
Price: Regular €8 / Concession €5
