Teacher and artist Doug Calisch, has recently completed his twenty-ninth year of teaching at Wabash College. He received his M.F.A. in sculpture from the University of Minnesota in 1979 and his B.F.A. in 1976 from the University of Illinois. He regularly teaches 3-D Design Foundations and all levels of sculpture, ceramics and photography. In recent summers Doug has traveled to the American Southwest with student photographers teaching nomadic courses in black/white photography. Other ... view more »
Doug Calisch
Artist’s Notes 2008
Lost and Found, Again
My sculptural process involves collecting, modifying, and assembling found materials. By composing with these rescued materials, layers of association and metaphor emerge, motifs develop, and narratives are created. That each collected article shows signs of natural wear or past human activity intrigues me and suggests each sculptural assemblage has an expansive history beyond my involvement with the materials. It is not unlike archeology. The work becomes collaborative, combining my actions with acts previous to mine. Within this context, I strive for the delicate balance between preserving an object’s history (a cultural archeology), and creating new ways of looking at and thinking about these materials and forms (a personal archeology).
Visualize a bronzed baby shoe tied to a chessboard, or sealed inside a mason jar. The relationship of these objects invites us to re-examine our associations with and perceptions of these things- each of us generating our own response to the new combinations.
University of Minnesota M.F.A.—Sculpture
Wabash College Faculty 1980–Present Chair, Art Department
Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *
Wondering what the value is of a work he did called The Counting House.
Wondering what the value is of a work he did called The Counting House.
View less