A much admired sculptor, Patrick Dougherty composes with nature, wielding saplings and sticks to build monumental structures that echo, play, and tussle with the land. Born in Oklahoma in 1945, Dougherty is the founder of Stickwork and has been making these, beautiful, ephemeral monumental works of art for the past 35 years, and to date, has built around 300. At the beginning of 2024, thedirt.news interviewed Dougherty to explain the process and inspiration behind the works.
James Florio is a Montana-based photographer focused on the built environment and the life surrounding it. He works slowly, visiting a place repeatedly to gain a greater understanding of it, to ultimately deliver a thoughtful and profound interpretation.
The new book was inspired by Dougherty’s and Florio’s connection to Tippet Rise Art Center in Fishtail, Montana, where Dougherty has crafted sculptures from local willows, and where Florio has photographed the art and wild lands over many years. Dougherty’s first commission at Tippet Rise, Daydreams, was completed in 2015. He subsequently returned to the art center in 2022 to make a companion piece for this work. At the heart of both pieces is a nineteenth-century schoolhouse reproduction. The new work, Cursive Takes a Holiday (2022), adds an installation of intertwining branches to the outside of the schoolhouse, creating a series of circular spaces that visitors can step inside. Daydreams features woven branches that connect the indoors to the outdoors.
In addition to the black and white photographs, this book features information about the commission, creation, installation, and community engagement of Dougherty’s work, along with essays about his practice, influence, and legacy.
Patrick Dougherty | James Florio: Sticks (Radius Books) will be released on the 15th of April, 2025.
