July 6, 2002 – June 31, 2003
Organized by Museum of Glass
Patrick Dougherty's work references architecture, sculpture and the landscape as well as concepts of shelter. Dougherty encourages viewers to construct their own personal associations when viewing his work. Branches and saplings, his medium, are a familiar backyard material. They have been used as a building material from thousands of years and, Dougherty believes, there is history in them.
When Dougherty began sculpting, he was drawn to twigs as a plentiful and renewable resource. His sculptures are all site-specific and created from branches and cut saplings, which he integrates into buildings and natural structures. Dougherty's work requires physical strength. To create these large-scale sculptures, he must first think structurally, twisting the saplings into a woven web strong enough to support each element. He then thinks aesthetically and finally, cosmetically.
Dougherty worked onsite at the Museum of Glass with two assistants for three weeks to complete Call of the Wild. The main structure, modeled after a traditional glass vessel, was generated first. Its foundation was created from vine maple and then filled with willow. The four subsequent structures reference movement and fluidity and proceed in a diagonal line through the reflecting pool. He enjoys working in public where people can watch him at work and talk with him. His sculptures, like the saplings they are made from, have a natural life cycle, so each installation is temporary.