David Everett
Exhibit: "Practical Dreaming" (New Works Gallery Space)
Dates: March 8 - April 25, 2008
18 Works: Sculpture and Media on Paper
David Everett
"Ruaiyat"
1990
Polychromed Mahogany
48" x 32" 20"
Artist's Statment
"My work addresses the humor, resilience and mystery of life with images that suggest both a childlike curiosity and a quiet spiritualism. As a small child I felt a fond admiration for an old carved carousel in my hometown and the memories of human figures associated with animal forms serves as one of the primary sources of imagery for my sculpture. There are many other influences on the work including the stylistic carving of Needleman, the compositional dynamics of Bernini, the formal reduction of Brancusi and the structural form of Italian marionettes."
About the Work
Inspired by the wildlife and people he grew up with on the coast of the Gulf of Mexico, David Everett handcarves his sculptures out of large laminated masses of hardwoods using dozens of different chisels. An excellent craftsman, he combines smooth and roughly carved animal figures into sculptures, often stacking them on top of each other. He then painstakingly glazes the entire sculpture with paint.
The sculptures are designed with articulated joints allowing the viewer to appreciate the carving from multiple angles.