Challenging status quo suggestions, the inventive work of seasoned sculptor Douglas Walker blurs the lines between form and function, art and craft, the surreal, sublime, whimsical and joyous toward the often mysterious and ultimately profound.
The award winning Canadian sculptor of semi-precious metals includes brass, copper and silver, bound with...
more"I first met Douglas Walker in June 2009 in pursuit of a magazine article I was writing about the man and his work. Long fascinated by improbable machinery, interactive art and creative recycling, I was attracted to his extraordinary creations from the moment I saw a sample of them on his website. Upon meeting Douglas - quite the charmer, I must say - he gave my wife and I an anecdote-peppered tour of the small collection of his work dotted about the yards of his Black Creek home. There were maybe seven or eight pieces, the only unsold examples of over six hundred created in a mere five years. This may tell you something of the universal appeal of his spectacular kinetic sculptures.
Since seeing them up close in all their elegant mechanical glory, we have remained spellbound by Douglas' joyous, whimsical garden art. They're like the boyhood dreams of a romantic engineer come to life. I maintain that no one has made better use of a saxophone since Clarence Clemons on "Born to Run" or of a French horn since Wolfie Amadeus penned concerti for it. And just like those particular peaks of human creativity, Douglas' offerings are powerful, beautiful, and make you feel good in their company. There is, of course, no true substitute for experiencing the real thing, but the images contained within the lush pages of this book will, as the originals intended, make you smile, gasp and sigh. Enjoy them. I sure do."
