A Natural History of Fabrication
November 15, 2010 - February 5, 2011
- Reception: November 18, 6-8 p.m., gallery lounge
- live music by the Parkland Guitar Ensemble
Rod Northcutt’s conceptual works of sculpture, drawings, audio, and paintings speak indirectly of human relationships by using a few carefully chosen animals as surrogates. Here, nature’s builders--beavers, woodpeckers, and termites--dramatically unfold an alternate history of construction and manufacturing in the United States by proxy. Playing humorously between fact and fiction, the artist presents artifacts in a natural history format: relics and tools from 1950s beaver lodge architecture; Dutch-style shoes created by the combined efforts of woodpeckers and termites; an early prototype of a beaver-inspired adult novelty, and more. Constructing allegorical tales through a litany of delicately crafted items, Northcutt references social history, philosophy, labor movements/industry, metaphysics, and revolution, among other subjects.
Northcutt received his MFA in sculpture from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and BFA in painting and drawing/biology from The University of North Texas. He has exhibited nationally and internationally at the Dallas Center for Contemporary Art, Museum of Contemporary Art: Chicago, and others. He designs furniture and structures under the name of onesixtyfourth design and works collaboratively with green/sustainable design collectives.
Image: Rod Northcutt, Diagram for Castor Canadensis, ink on paper