Philadelphia artist Doug Herren is known for his brightly painted large-scale ceramic sculptures that are hybrids of industrial equipment and traditional wheel-thrown pottery. Many of the sculptures appear to be constructed from machine parts or iron works that have been reconfigured with bolts or rivets and repainted to look anew. The refurbished objects seem functional but their scale, antiquated nature, and disjointedness deem otherwise. At the same time, the sculptures are also toy-like. In addition to their eye-catching colors, they have other playful characteristics. The totemic structures create a sense that many of the parts are moveable – elements could potentially spin or be re-stacked and re-assembled. There is a curiosity about them, particularly as each sculpture includes objects that have familiar visual associations. There are elements that suggest a trophy, an engine block, sirens, pipes, and fittings but they are combined in unusual and unexpected ways. And, to further their sculptural ambiguity, each form is displayed on found wooden timbers that serve as unique pedestals. Each tabletop has been outfitted with heavy-duty ceramic legs hand-built in a style similar to its featured ceramic counterpart. Ultimately, these numerous visual incongruities provoke us to look closer at Herren’s sculpture in an attempt to decipher their overall meaning.
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