Terrain DallasDoug LandFront Yard MuseumJuly 1 - August 23, 2020
Terrain Dallas is proud to present artist Doug Land's site-specific installation, Front Yard Museum. Land is a multi-media artist and "botanical nerd" whose work is at the intersection of art and ecology. His sculptures and installations often resemble diverse flora, contrasting human invention and intervention with nature. In Front Yard Museum, Land addresses the various histories and aesthetics of the suburban yard through arboretum-like signage, curating and cataloging nature in much the same way we do art objects.
Front Yard Museum uses site specific labels placed near four exemplary plants, representing four traditional elements of the suburban landscape. Each label contains the plant’s common name; latin name; country of origin; average size; blooming period; ecological benefits; human uses; and any other interesting facts. Land asks: "As you read the labels, and walk around the yard, think about the plants you see without labels. What might their histories be? What are their interesting facts? What curated collection would you create, if this was your yard?"
Land's likening of the curated yard to the museum makes more apparent human intervention in the manipulation of nature. Many of the species in the suburban yard are non-native, having been transported from various places over the years and driven by trade practices. Like many museums, the suburban yard is now a collection of complex cultures and histories. "True, these trees, shrubs, perennials, groundcovers and grasses are the outdoor decor of our home. But their existence is more than seasonal growth. What if for a moment, these plants are the living representations of time passed? In some neighborhoods, the trees are older than the houses they shade. While in other neighborhoods, the plants were installed yesterday. These plants contain histories. They model symbolism. They support communities and create ecologies." In his proposal, the plant life we have collected becomes more than just aesthetically pleasing or decoratively practical. They become living artworks with histories.
Doug Land is an emerging artist and graduate student at Texas Christian University in Fort Worth, TX. His first solo exhibition, Extravagant Rubbish: Aesthetic Forms and Their Opposites opened at The Ant Colony in Dallas, TX in 2015. Land was a 2018 artist in residence at The Carillon Gallery at Tarrant County College South Campus, culminating in his solo exhibition, Metallangen: the metal meadow. His website features his exhibitions and Notes on Growing, a lively blog featuring lots of nerdy plant information.
Founded by local artist, educator, and curator Iris Bechtol, Terrain Dallas is a public exhibition space located in Elmwood, a historic neighborhood in Oak Cliff - Dallas, TX. Terrain Dallas focuses on exhibiting site specific, temporary interventions by emerging artists in and around the landscape of a suburban dwelling.Offering artists a place to experiment within an alternative setting, Terrain Dallas functions as a site of connection, exposing the community to new ideas and experiences through challenging works of contemporary art.
Terrain Dallas is located at 1122 Elmdale Pl, Dallas, TX 75224
Viewing Hours: Seven days a week, 10 am - 6 pm during exhibitions.
For more information, please contact irisbechtol@gmail.com
Price
- FREE!
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