Dan Van Clapp
Homeland Sale, Catalogue #7
3/24 to 4/20, 2007
Reception: Saturday, 3/24, 6p to 9p
Dan Van Clapp's sculptural installation, Homeland Sale, Catalogue #7, is based on contemporary societal fears and fascinations with weapons of mass destruction. Van Clapp recreates his concept of these "weapons" by fabricating them to resemble old pieces of artillery that have been destroyed, recycled, and rebuilt over time. The artist pokes fun by deconstructing and reconstructing these objects using everyday household materials, i.e. kitchenware and children's toys. Contrastingly irreverent, provocative and challenging, Van Clapp's powerful sculptures capture his view of the military industrial complex in 2007.
Portfolio
Artist Statement
My very early inspiration came from museum dioramas. In these displays I was fascinated by the three dimensional background. In High School I applied some of these ideas to make miniature set designs that were used as models for the theatre sets, and ever since, I've continued to explore the assemblage of everyday found objects. The history of art and literature has been a provocative inspiration and, for me, an identification with the past. Ever fascinated by civilization in conflict, I have chosen the human figure by using plastic dolls, to evoke the connections between troubling eroticism and the pursuit of power. At first glance one might see this work as spiritually romantic, but on closer inspection, the viewer sees an alluring, powerful figure whose mysterious origins tend to drift to the dark side of human nature.
The first step in creating a faux scene with a sense of antiquity is to arrange one, two or three dolls so that they suggest a fanciful narrative of a tableaux. After the plastic doll has been altered with paper mache and acrylic paint gel, I then apply a thin coat of gesso that is also shaped and sanded. Then I work and re-work various areas with layers of paint and glue until the desired effect is achieved. The fun starts with the application of the accessories; for example, a gilded woven, women's shoe becomes a halo, fancy meat skewers become holy scepters or a porch light becomes a holy chalice.
For the last fifteen years my work has been inspired by l7th century church santos, while pleasing to look at with their entire classic splendor, the overall theme is really about sadness, power and fear.