Sculpting over a lifetime
Taking the time to see an art exhibit is always fun and adds to the creative juices. Just a few blocks away is the home and studio of David Cargill, a sculptor. I first became familiar with his work as a piece in the front entrance of the private high school attended by my three sons. It was a bronze trio of Mary and Joseph with Jesus as an adolescent. Mary was reaching out trying to hold Jesus back; Joseph was holding her shoulders comforting her—as if saying, our boy is growing up. Whenever I felt overwhelmed by parenting teenagers, I would stand in front of that sculpture—.
Another one of his sculptures is in his front yard—Jesus is lying back on his hands behind him, laughing at the children who are climing on his knees. New Testament and Sunday School lessons and sermons from the pulpit feature Jesus as always serious and intent—but he must have laughed, played with the other children in the neighborhood as a boy–he was fully human.
So after those two sculptures I was eager to see the exhibit at the Dishman here in Beaumont. It’s last day was Saturday but in April 2021 there will be a retrospective of his work at the Art Museum of Southeast Texas. I don’t have the dates yet—but it is a definite item on my calendar.
The pieces in this exhibit were early pieces but they capture people in every day life and with a bit of humor. I was reminded of Degas’ paintings of real people who were not posed specifically for the artwork. I took photos of most of them—and I’ll include the link here. https://sylviaweirphotos.smugmug.com/DAvid-Cargill-exhibt-2020/i-4QVWv77/buy
If asked to pick my favorite—it would be hard—
The man seated on the back of a giant fish who is trying to reel that fish in..
The graceful girl offering a piece of fruit to a camel while perched on its back…
the nude who was playing with her feet—bored? or maybe they fell asleep…
and then in the upstairs gallery was a selection of 3D printed objects from Poland. If I could read Polish, I might have understood more about each piece but this one doesn’t need a lot of words.
Sylvia Weir Art 