Don’s work has both abstracted and figurative imagery.  Executed in variety of materials, stone is the predominate medium.  Other materials used with the stone include cast/fabricated metals, carved/joined wood, cast/fabricated plastics, cold-worked/kiln-formed glass, ceramics, handcast paper, gilding, and found objects.

Abstracted imagery is worked into pedestal pieces, large freestanding sculptures, and wall-mounted reliefs, while the long-running lip series is usually wall-mounted relief, in deep shadowbox framing, and sometimes large freestanding or pedestal pieces.

Don’s most recent efforts are a series of ‘Stone Boats’ and a ‘Garden’ series.  The ‘Stone Boats’ are pedestal-sized pieces using a variety of ship/boat hull forms based on historical example and use the metaphor of vessel-as-container to delve into emotional explorations of personal/cultural memory.  The ‘Garden’ series are small wall sculptures that depict the metaphorical contents of writers, musicians, and other artists’ back gardens in homage.

Most of Don’s sculptural work is done to follow where the work leads — simply exploring subjects and forms that interest him without pre-planning.  The finished piece is a result of give-and-take with the material that leads to meaning and content through the work process.  Occasionally though, Don will accept a commission and must necessarily create a work that is mapped-out and planned before the physical work begins.  A recent commission was a memorial wall in an Atlanta synagogue, Beth Tefillah, using aluminum, stainless steel, etched glass, and electric illumination.

A wide selection of the range of Don’s work, informative and illustrated discussions of the technical processes and working philosophies, historical references, exhibits, and much more can be found on Don’s non-commercial website: http://www.dondougan.com.