After several people asked if I had seen the stickwork installation in progress outside the Sam Fox School of Design & Visual Art at Washington University on Forsyth, I thought I had better check it out. I am so glad I did, as the renowned artist himself, Patrick Dougherty (see photo below), was there bringing bundles of sticks to the students while giving them guidance, as they finished fabricating the 20' tall structures, to be dedicated on Monday.
The artist, who is based in Chapel Hill, has completed over 200 stunning stickwork sculptures around the world. Dougherty is the Louis D. Beaumont Artist-in-Residence at the Sam Fox School this fall, and his class, which he is co-teaching with Professor of Art Ron Fondaw, is titled: "Masterclass in Art & Architecture: Stickwork on Campus."
While the students were studying plans or hard-at-work bending and weaving sticks into place, I didn't want to bother them with questions. However, I was told that the Sam Fox School website had information about the piece and the process (look here). Dougherty's class of sixteen students drawn from architecture, landscape architecture, and the visual arts, assisted in the design and construction of the piece, which has taken approximately three weeks to build.
The as yet unnamed piece is constructed of tree saplings and other locally harvested materials.
The dedication of this fantastic installation, which is open to the public, is Monday at noon. The piece will be on view through December 2013—plenty of time to study it in every season and in all kinds of weather.
Thought I’d see you at the dedication, Nicki, in fact I was going to hand off a Thanksgiving cookie to you! The title of the piece is “double or nothing,” which I think is pretty cute.