The Northern Sung Dynasty painter and poet Liang Kai (Chinese, c.1140 – c.1210) is reported to have declared that he wanted to do one thing well.

One evening, Master Liang burst into a bank side jian-hsi where his friends had gathered for wine, ink painting, poetry and conversation and Liang excitedly outlined his plan to focus on individual and specific objectives one at a time; and then, once complete or mastered move to yet another. And so, in the end, Liang Kai (by then known as Madman Liang) had produced a small but compelling collection of objects. The same may be said of many artists. George Seurat (French, 1859 – 1891) comes to mind, having produced less than forty works of art, yet each one (think about A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte) carries us away by the excellence of the experience.

The Duxbury Merchant currently on view in the Cape Cod Museum of Art Ocean Edge Gallery, has the prestige of two weeks of providing pleasure, cheers, laughter and amusement to many, many visitors from all age groups and all walks of life. After spending over a decade working on her daily, then finally placing The Duxbury Merchant on public view, I can say that I realize that this monumental sculpture has proven ability to carry-the-room.

When I see photographs of her now, surrounded by happy, amazed, inspired school children, I know that like Liang Kai, The Duxbury Merchant has made it possible for me to say that I have done this one thing well.

William Hemmerdinger: The Duxbury Merchant

“The Duxbury Merchant is an intriguing, evocative work — poetic in its suggestiveness.  It can be read as a metaphor for life’s journey, how one can become burdened by the accumulation of things, battered by the winds and storms of experience, yet capable of looking up at sunshine. This work fascinates by bringing the most diverse elements into unity.  The Duxbury Merchant can expand our idea of sculpture.”

— Milton Teichman, sculptor / painter

Photographs by Sophie Hemmerdinger

William Hemmerdinger: The Duxbury Merchant

Artist talk in the Ocean Edge Gallery: July, 8, 2016

Cape Cod Museum of Art, Dennis, Massachusetts

Hosted by Edith A. Tonelli, Ph.D., Museum Director

The Duxbury Merchant at the Cape Cod Museum of Art

WILLIAM HEMMERDINGER: THE DUXBURY MERCHANT

Cape Cod Museum of Art, Dennis, Massachusetts

July 7 – August 28, 2016

Kolaj Magazine and The Duxbury Merchant

William Hemmerdinger: The Duxbury Merchant appears in Kolaj Magazine. The international publication produced by Maison Kasini of Montreal, Canada is edited by Ric Kasini Kadour and  the magazine is dedicated to the presentation and interpretation of the art of collage and assemblage.

This article draws attention to the forthcoming debut exhibition of The Duxbury Merchant sculpture at the Cape Cod Museum of Art on July 7. The text also presents historical insight and an artist biography. See: http://kolajmagazine.com/content/

Installation Views for William Hemmerdinger: The Duxbury Merchant

Installation at the Cape Cod Museum of Art, Dennis, Massachusetts for the exhibition

William Hemmerdinger: The Duxbury Merchant, July 7 – August 28, 2016

Sketches, Concepts, Visitors

Sketches, (left), concepts (bottom of page) and visitors are an aspect of the spin-off culture surrounding The Duxbury Merchant. For a number of years The Duxbury Merchant occupied a significant portion of the artist’s studio. Here, a life drawing model poses with the hull form after the piece has been installed on the cart. As the central sculptural form took shape it would be studied, scrutinized, altered, then studied again while other studio activities continued. In process the hull would be the subject of sketches, drawings, prints and photographs by the artist, studio interns and students. The ship hull, sails, cart, coyote and other elements served as the backdrop for life drawing sessions, student film projects, technical demonstrations, conversations, musical recitals, internships and photography.

 

In the photograph below is John Skoyles, poet, author, teacher and former director of the Fine Arts Work Center in Provincetown. John is shown on a recent studio visit checking out the rigging arrangements for the “never – before – seen-anywhere – except – on – a – flying – fish” sails. “Would they work?” Well, no. And, considering this is a sculpture, not a ship model or a pond boat, and it isn’t likely that The Duxbury Merchant will float. We agreed we’ll never know. Nevertheless, John is equipped with a vivid and fearless imagination and remains inspired by the notion of an object of art capsizing, sinking, then the inevitable disintegration of the ship. Glub, glub…glub! When asked for permission to use this photograph, John, without hesitation jumped on board and made a special request: to be referred to as “The Captain,” — agreed, passage booked, charts are out and ready to be underway — Captain John Skoyles with The Duxbury Merchant.

 

The image below is a photomontage / collage developed from a set of altered digital photographs of The Duxbury Merchant and related studio ephemera. At the lower left are the orange-primer cart wheels, the stern portion of the hull appears with a quilted sail festooned with international currency, and beyond, draped across a stretcher bar in the background, is a partially painted rendering of a studio intern / model with the ship hull. A friend and fellow collage artist, the Danish poet, photographer and collagist Titika Rotkjaer, contributed the image of the figure at right. 

https://williamhemmerdingercollageandassemblage.wordpress.com/

The Duxbury Merchant, 2004 – 2016

The Duxbury Merchant is a sculptural assemblage of wood, steel, stone, ceramic, plaster, resin, seashells, sea detritus, found objects, cloth, paper, copper wire, paint, metallic powders and adhesives over sculptor’s foam. The overall dimension of the artwork is 13′ x 9′ x 6′ (measurement includes cart).

For a number of years The Duxbury Merchant occupied a significant portion of the artist’s studio. As the central sculptural form took shape it would be studied, scrutinized, altered, then studied again. While in progress the hull would be the subject of sketches, drawing, prints and photographs by the artist, studio interns and students. During this course of the production, the ship hull, sails, cart and other elements served as the backdrop for life drawing sessions, student film projects, technical demonstrations, internships and photography. Here, a life drawing model poses behind the hull form which has been installed on the cart. The three forward sails in place.

https://williamhemmerdingercollageandassemblage.wordpress.com/

William Hemmerdinger: The Duxbury Merchant, 2004 – 2016

The Duxbury Merchant is a sculptural assemblage of wood, steel, stone, ceramic, plaster, resin, seashells, sea detritus, found objects, cloth, paper, copper wire, paint, metallic powders and adhesives over sculptor’s foam. The overall dimension of the artwork is 13′ x 9′ x 6′ (measurement includes cart).

The sculpture is comprised of multiple components. Some of these, such as the antique taxidermy of a Western coyote, are not included in certain venues.

Cape Cod Museum of Art, Dennis, Massachusetts

William Hemmerdinger: The Duxbury Merchant

July 7 – August 28, 2016

The coyote element will not be included in this exhibition

 

Construction of The Duxbury Merchant The Duxbury Merchant, 2004 – 2016