Artist Research: Tara Donovan

I bumped into Jeff this week at a visiting artist event. I briefly gave him an update on my work and was told to check out Tara Donovan. I was delighted to see that she is a Virginia Commonwealth Alumni.

Donovan has a long list of accomplishments, including several prestigious awards. Among these are the MacArthur "genius" award as well as the Calder Prize in 2005. Her work has been shown at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Donovan constructs natural forms from everyday items such as buttons, Styrofoam cups, paper plates, fishing wire and drinking straws. Transforming these materials into organic forms, Donovan convinces the viewer that these sculptures are natural gems plucked from the environment. Clouds and algae seem to be a few of the organic shapes that have been meticulously crafted. Donovan applies a consistent technique, layering and piling these common goods to assure a seamless piece--the viewer is unaware of the materials used until close examination. These sculptural landscapes invite us to be aware of our surroundings and our use of the everyday objects.