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'Sticking' around

Patrick Dougherty would have no problem saying his work is “for the birds.” Currently on display at the Fralin Museum of Art, Dougherty’s most recent “Stickwork” installation consists of thousands of wood saplings twisted and twined together into a stickwork sculpture.

Stickwork sculptures take a huge amount of time, effort and space, but always pay off. Dougherty’s works can take up the space of entire buildings and are often mounted 100 feet or more into the air. The vine-like saplings twist and curve through buildings, strongly juxtaposing the naturalism of the saplings with the brick or concrete buildings. His earliest work on display “Turnabout is Fair Play” (1987), has the stickwork circling out of the door of an art studio and spilling into the street. The obvious naturalistic saplings contrast sharply with the glass doors of the art studio and the brick background. Dougherty doesn’t limit himself to just buildings though. His other works, including the one built at the University, focus on building the sculpture into a natural background or setting. Regardless, all of his works are incredibly flowing and whippish, just like the trees they were taken from.

Dougherty has claimed that he works with sticks simply because he is not comfortable with pencils. He attributes his awkwardness with traditional pen and paper to him being left handed. Dougherty’s sketches are on display with his work, and his awkwardness is more than apparent. The sketches consist mostly of disjointed lines and circles accompanied by fragmented sentences.

The U.Va. stickwork exemplifies his characteristic flowing, tilting style mixed with the traditional architecture of University. It consists of five or six stickwork “houses” which all seem to weave together. It’s as if every one is an individual Leaning Tower of Stick. The houses are grouped in a semicircle, arching down and around the small hill between Ruffin Gallery and the Drama Building. They lean on to each other and whip out in a curvy fashion.

Though Dougherty’s sculptures are creative, inventive and, to be frank, really cool, they do lack a range of design. Every one of them is big, flowing and rounded in style. They all fit a general mold and I’d like to see something drastically different — even if it’s a failure.

Regardless, the Dougherty exhibit is well worth a look. It’s something different that breaks the conventions of sculpting and art. Take a walk behind Ruffin and explore his “Stickwork.” Watch out for bird eggs though.

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