Every Mark Counts, the Duegaw exhibit

I enjoyed our field trip to the Wichita Art Museum very much. Patrick Duegaw's work is inspirational.
He uses reclaimed building materials in a very elegant way in his paintings and for framing them. Each piece is well thought out and planned starting with the layout/arrangement of the sheet rock ground. The puzzle pieces and even the screws attaching them to the backing are effective elements of the multi- layered compositions.
It was difficult for me to select a single piece from such a large exhibit. All I can say is that I experienced a personal connection with "The Guardian of Private Spaces". The first thing I noticed was the square frame made of reclaimed crown moulding with the layers of old paint, scratches, scrapes, gouges, and bare wood patches left be. Recycling/using old materials is the best thing ever. The piece itself is charming and whimsical. The composition is divided in two. On the left is an iconic figure painted in a triadic color scheme of red, blue and yellow. This "guardian" is portrayed as someone similar to a jester with plumed hat and boldly striped shirt. He's positioned in an ornate little red balcony or niche and gestures out in greeting to the viewer.
The welcome he extends lends the viewer permission to enter further, into the private space of the artist portrayed on the right side of the composition. The private space is rendered in much darker tones which indicates to me that this is not only the abode/studio of the artist but also a metaphor for his psychological inner space. The accompanying text adds another personal and mysterious touch because it is written in poetic stanzas rather than dry explanitory verbage.
I wonder about the effectively and lovingly rendered reflective surfaces of objects such as the coffee pot. Perhaps these too are metaphorical of the artist's personal reflections regarding his life, or that part of it that defines creature comforts, home and privacy. The occupation with privacy is one close to my own heart. Duegaw is certainly interested in his surroundings...concerned with them in fact.
I feel that his portarayal/portraits of personal space, self, tools and household objects indicates a very narrative body of work in this aptly titled exhibit.
Anyway, every mark made on/with his surfaces counts toward the success of each piece. The screws, the left-over paint from who knows where, the jigsaw puzzle ground, the beautifully rendered realistic objects and spaces, each line and gesture appears to have been planned and considered to enhance the whole piece. - Margaret