I walked into Ballard Consignment on Sunday afternoon, and immediately was struck by the two paintings you see above. They're very good, they're very clear, and they're very unusual. Their crispness reminds me of the classic 1960s photorealism of San Francisco, but without the sunny glare.

The tag on the paintings lists the artist's name as "Kim Y.S.," presumably taken from the signature in the paintings' corners. The paintings were on sale. One (the one pictured closely below) was on hold.

I asked the clerk what she knew and she said only that she thought the artist was from Seattle and deceased. "There's more around the store, too," she said—and I found two, for four total. I was less crazy about these—one is cartoonish and the other is maudlin—but still, they seem like integral parts in what might be a fascinating local tale.

Does anybody out there in Slogland know anything about this art or artist? I've called a local historian of obscure art but haven't heard back from him yet, and anyway, it's more fun if y'all have tips I can follow. The two other works are on the jump.