RECEPTION: JAN 9

works by Doug McAbee

EXHIBIT OVERVIEW

Art can change people. Humor has a similar effect. Doug McAbee uses these two mediums to bring positive and hopeful messages to his viewers.

EXHIBIT STATEMENT

I was taught the power of laughter and humor by my father and I seek to channel that power into my creative work. Knowing that art has the power to change how people think, I have chosen to communicate positive and hopeful messages to my audience through my work.

Often using imaginative creatures as stand-ins for the characters in my narratives, my work focuses on the challenges that face all humans regardless of race, gender, or class. These issues are communicated through narratives and while the problems and dualities are acknowledged, there is always a sense of hope that we will overcome these challenges with kindness and community.

The drawings on wood, steel sculptures, and murals I am currently producing are approachable by viewers of all ages. As viewers engage with the works of art they will connect with the absurdity, the liveliness, and the humor in the work. Whether for a few seconds or perhaps longer, my hope is that connection will create change.

ARTIST BIO Doug McAbee learned to weld at age 7. While his imagination was running wild, his father began teaching him practical construction methods with steel. The sense of play and exploration he valued then is still with him as he creates whimsical and organic drawings and sculptures.

Doug was born in Spartanburg, SC and he grew up there as well. He earned his MFA at Winthrop University and works as Professor of Art at Lander University in Greenwood, SC. He lives out in the middle of nowhere with his family and their dogs and he creates drawings and sculptures when he’s not teaching.

Doug is interested in using humor, color, and narrative in his artwork. His father was a great storyteller and Doug is interested in the power of imagery and story in his visual communication with viewers. Doug creates indoor and outdoor murals, as well as indoor and outdoor sculptures and sometimes exhibits them together in immersive visual experiences in galleries.

He was also raised by wolves.