Doug’s 2003 Work (Gallery)


Art from the Ruins

I have always been drawn to ruins with their textures and patterns of long use and decay. And the mysteries: who were the people and why did they leave? What were their stories? Sadly I watch many of our old structures on the plains slowly weather down, seldom given a second glance by tunnel-vision travelers and necessity-harried citizenry. Land use and social structure on the southern High Plains have been and continue to be in a state of flux. In a wide-open country with a sometimes-unforgiving climate, there is a danger in rushing from one discard pile of change to the next. Like our tunnel-vision traveler we are only caught up in the going, moving so fast we do not bring our stories and our culture with us. And by then, we are all too ready to believe that our land has no esthetic value, and our ruins can be forgotten. Katherine Anne Porter said, “Art is what we find when the ruins are cleared away.” I would say art is what we have when we allow ourselves to look into the ruins. Then we have an art that gives us a sense of where we have come from and thereby helps us shape a vision of where we are going. This need for a personal and cultural sense of place has led me to create my own style of regionally-inspired furniture–reliquaries of sorts–using castoff lumber and hardware from the ruins. Like three-dimensional photo albums, the furniture pieces have become a way of telling some of the seldom-heard stories of just plain living on the Texas Panhandle. Twenty-five years of developing my art while living on the High Plains had brought me to the point where I could see the possibility and need to assemble a grouping of story pieces that emanated from a central idea or place. The desire to further explore the concept of the regional reliquary and to show the layers of memory sweeping through the ruins opened the door for Art from the Ruins. Full entry into the project came about when the Canadian Arts Alliance of Canadian, Texas, seeing the potential in the concept, gave its enthusiastic support as a working partner. For their confidence in me as an artist and in the whole endeavor, I am forever grateful. Their commitment and tireless work brought Art from the Ruins to its full realization as a traveling art and history exhibit. Art from the Ruins is now on permanent display at Wolf Creek Heritage Museum in Lipscomb, Texas.
#0301 War Years

the Story of this piece / Art from the Ruins…

#0302 Prairie Sentinels

the Story of this piece / Art from the Ruins…

Price
Turner
Moore
Wright
#0303 Buffalo Creek Hall Table

the Story of this piece…

#0304 Red Door

the Story of this piece…

#0306 Cowpuncher or Cook

the Story of this piece / Art from the Ruins…

#0307 The Cattleman

the Story of this piece / Art from the Ruins…

#0308 Under a Wide Sky

the Story of this piece / Art from the Ruins…

#0309 Up from the Cellar

the Story of this piece / Art from the Ruins…

#0310 Up from the Ruins

the Story of this piece / Art from the Ruins…

#0311 It’s All in the Deal

the Story of this piece / Art from the Ruins…

#0312 Front Porch Conversations

the Story of this piece / Art from the Ruins…

#0314 Wards 1500 Tall Chest

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#0315 Iron Lady Sideboard

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#0316 Summer Mirage Sofa Table

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#0317 Thresher’s Requiem

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#0318 Deering-Do Hall Table

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#0319 McCormick Dreaming

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# 0320 Water Dog

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#0321 She Was Quite a Heifer Sofa Table

the Story of this piece…

#0322 Plains Rune

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#0323 Burr Grinder Hall Table

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#0324 Sulky-Rake Serving Table

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#0325 Dreyfoos Looking Glass

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#0326 Southern View Sofa Table

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#0327 Over the Loft Hall Table

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#0328 Attic Window Sentinel

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#0329 Front Porch Gleaner

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#0330 Burr Gate Side Table

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#0331 Story Stick

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#0332 Country of Bones Wall Cabinet

the Story of this piece…