Patrick Dougherty @ Brown University...

Last night I attended a lecture by Patrick Dougherty at the List Arts Center at Brown University. He is a folk artist of sorts (never completed art school), grey-haired in his fifties, with a corny sense of humor (His installation at Brown is titled rooted squares) that reminds me of my father (a 50-something engineer). At the age of 35 he decided to leave his career in the health field, build a log cabin and start making sculpture.

Initially influenced by tribal and native American shelter construction, he builds large scale sculptures made of interlocking tree saplings. His works have been commissioned around the world. Dougherty builds 8 to 10 pieces each year and to date has made around 180 sculptures. The works are temporary, usually lasting a little over a year. The lecture was interesting and I found Patrick to be one of the most sincere artist I have seen speak recently.

He has been featured in many publications focusing on craft and when I questioned him whether or not he considered his work craft or art he did not take it as being offensive or critical. He responded he didn't know or care, that if it was interesting to him, he made it. When asked if his work is something specific, he admits to usually simply nodding yes (environmental art? Yes; Site-specific? Yes; Craft? Yes). Being true to himself seems to be working quite well for him, and to be honest I am quite envious of his working methods and success.

His homepage, which is worth checking out, can be seen here.