Dane Winkler Artist Talk

Meet the Sculptor:  Dane Winkler artist talk March 13 from 5:30—6:30 PM

Visitors to Dane Winkler’s exhibition often comment on the surprising materials he uses to create his large-scale sculptures.  Some of the most original responses are from young visitors who have described Rumen’s Berth, 2018  as a coconut from a giant’s tree; and Porter, 2018 composed of straw and a suspended braided rug as a “bird catcher”.  Winkler’s materials “act as major players in the decision making process behind what the work turns into.”  This is a new process for the artist who recently moved from upstate New York to North Carolina to teach in UNC-G’s School of Art.

“In the past, I would have been more likely to seek out materials to fulfill an idea - I still do this as part of my practice but now I also collect things that speak to me upon finding them.  This means following impulses often times without knowing why I'm drawn to a certain material or object.  I then let the materials sit and stew in my workspace, and an idea develops as I constantly look at them and move them around, seeing how they interact with one another.”

When asks how he selects objects to be incorporated into his work he states:

“Much of the work in the exhibition is a means to make inanimate objects feel alive - and I've been exploring the many different ways to do this.  For instance - Porter uses a rug and a circle of black straw to reference a shared domestic HUMAN space in conversation with the same space that animals in the barn might use.  They both have an inherent baggage and narrative, and when put together this way, a new story emerges.  The street lamp was originally compelling in its scale and power - but then also it made me think of a loneliness or vulnerability ... both referencing industry, but also a lone street lamp on a country road.  In collecting materials in conversation with meticulously 'making' objects, I've been training myself in acting on impulses "yes, go get that fallen down street lamp!", and then reflecting through the making of the sculpture and the transformation of the materials on why I'm drawn to that thing and why I had that impulse.”

Dane Winkler will give a slide presentation as a part of his artist talk this Wednesday, March 13 from 5:30-6:30 PM. Suggested donation.