Artist Statement, October 2024.

My sculpture, my drawings and paintings are byproducts of my interactions with a wide range of materials and methods over decades, providing a ongoing catalogue of shapes and objects. My compositions are often inspired by the elements I collect, or shapes that I create. Many elements are remnants or byproducts from working on a projects such as 1877 square rigged sailing vessel restoration to 19th and 20th century building restorations. Working in many mediums, my range varies widely at times from traditional figurative work, to most often working in iron, steel, bronze, wood, plastic, concrete etc. from small scale to monumental scale. The figure, still a part of my studio life. But my primary focus has been on my compositional work. The compositions reflect my curiosity with lines and shapes, the intrinsic relationship of parts to the whole, and desire to create individually unique and energetic three dimensional composition. Utilizing components out of their original functional context, allows me to transform their identity to that of shape, mass, and line. Or allowing perhaps the identity of the parts to be clear, impacting the narrative of the composition. My acquired skills have allowed me to engage in many approaches and techniques in the creation of my work, which allows me more freedom in developing my concepts. Each new work opens the door for another.

Doug McLean