Into Sunrise is an exhibit of acrylic paintings. Saturations of yellow seem like an allowance of positivity, and like walking through prairies full of summer flowers humming with insects in the breeze. These works layer textures and colors over each other until a surface of bright, warm yellow is created to represent clarity, happiness and light, built on layers of deep experience.
Suggestions of Gravity is a multidisciplinary exhibit of found-object sculptures, abstract drawings and land art documentation, all inspired by immersions in the Midwest landscape.
The sculptures combine weathered natural and manufactured objects in the search for visual harmony arising from advanced material decay. Although I intend these works to be beautiful, I also mean to comment on the larger relationship between contemporary culture and nature.
The land art work takes place outdoors, existing for just a few moments or developing over many years. Objects, photos and videos of the work become artifacts from the event while the landscape continues to evolve. The collaboration with natural forces results in ever-changing artwork that lives on by itself with my manipulation as an element in its composition.
The drawings include archetypal graphic motifs, abstract images based on routes of daily travel, and visual expressions of energy. While some of these works refer directly to the landscape, others are symbolic of the search for universal patterns and truths.
Works in Suggestions of Gravity are related to each other by the use of weathered materials, by two- and three-dimensional linear elements, and by interactions with the Midwest landscape. The work reflects patterns and forms in nature without denying the presence of humanity while evoking memories of specific places.
About the Artist
Doug DeWitt is a Chicago-area artist and ecologist whose found-object sculptures, drawings, environmental land art and video are inspired by natural history and Midwest landscapes. Originally from northwestern Ohio, DeWitt spent many childhood hours exploring his grandparents’ farm buildings and catching crawdads in the creek near his home. He received a BFA in graphic design from Bowling Green State University in 1985, then moved to New England to experience the coastal landscape while working in Boston. Returning to the Midwest, DeWitt earned an MA in Studio Arts from Illinois State University in 1990. He designed exhibits featuring natural history, wildlife and anthropology at the Field Museum of Natural History and John G. Shedd Aquarium, both in Chicago, where his love of nature, science and history merged with his art. DeWitt exhibits his artwork throughout the Chicago region and has shown in New York and South Korea. He is currently an ecologist and land manager with a private firm that restores native prairies, woodlands and wetlands, a profession that continues to inspire his art.
Doug's many connections to the College include his wife Joyce Campbell-DeWitt, Budget and Accounting Analyst in the Business office, daughter Kess, current LFC junior, and son Rowan '21.