Art

Item Description

Out and About/Bonjour les Amis!
Local visual artist Dickson Carroll presents a joyful and inviting creation in purple:

Acrylic on wood (poplar)

28" H
18" W
10" D
Grey pedestal 45" H x 18" W x 18" D

Dickson Carroll "creates whimsical furniture, maquettes, and artworks constructed out of wood. These fanciful, brightly colored objects combine Carroll’s skill as a craftsman and his vision as an architect." (Art in Embassies - Department of State).

This sculpture is located at the Maison Francaise, Embassy of France, Washington DC, where it can be picked up in person. The shipping costs of the painting are the responsibility of the Purchaser. It ought to be picked up or shipped by July 31, 2023.

About Dickson Carroll

A retrospective at the Katzen Arts Center in 2024 will pay tribute to his life-long artistic work. In the meantime, his work can be seen at Dickson Carroll.

- In his own words:

"Trained as an architect at Yale Art and Architecture School ’66, I opened a private practice in architecture and sculpture in 1970 in Washington, DC. As a sole practitioner, I spend half of my time on architecture and half of my time making sculpture. The two professions complement each other in many ways. I have regular sculpture exhibits and am represented by Addison/Ripley Gallery in Georgetown.

I work primarily in wood, which is hand-carved, rasped and sanded smooth. There is minimal use of electric tools. I work without assistants. Finishes are usually Polyacrylic varnish tinted with acrylic artist’s color. Exterior finish on wood pieces is acrylic color with hardening varnish. Several older pieces were made with fiber glass laid up over sculpted foam. Some exterior pieces are welded steel with a permanent powder coat finish. The welding and finish are subcontracted.

Abstract sculptural pieces with no direct or specific inspiration often, upon completion, remind me of experiences or objects and are titled accordingly. Using my interest and knowledge of architecture, I create “visionary” building projects in model form, frequently for specific places in our city; some are transformations of existing or proposed buildings. Some are fantasies; some could be built. Interested in function as well as beauty, I make furniture and useful objects. I am fascinated by landscapes and make three-dimensional visions of specific places, often river scenes which are built into light boxes with their own illumination. Urban culture and wild nature are equally inspirational."

Item Special Note

More About Dickson Carroll

Public Commissions and Collections:
The Nora School, Silver Spring, MD
The National League of Cities, Washington DC
Howery and Simon, Attorneys, Washington, DC
Association for the Advancement of Science, Washington, DC
US Embassy, Moscow, Russia
US Embassy, Phnom Penh, Cambodia
The Renwick Gallery, Washington, DC
The Dimock Gallery, George Washington University, Washington DC
Inova Healthplex Medical Center’ Springfield, VA
Children’s Hospital, Washington, DC
The World Bank, Washington, DC