Memoryscape is an exciting exhibition of new luminous works by Daniel Buckingham, Professor of Sculpture at PrattMWP College of Art and Design.

The exhibition consists of two installations, Childhood Adventure, and Hair Amulet, both constructed of paper over welded steel frames and illuminated by electric light. Buckingham describes his objects as “drawings,” and in his artist’s statement, says:

I often reflect on Werner Herzog’s documentary, Cave of Forgotten Dreams. This unusual film was shot in an austere cave discovered in 1994 in Chauvet, France. The cave paintings span 35,000 years, representing generations of work made during a period marked by a glacial time clock.

“Memoryscape has recent luminous drawings, constructed in the form of large snapping turtle shells. The shell is a fragmentation/puzzle of smaller shields, known as scutes. This part to the whole relationship frames my narrative. The turtle is a universal symbol found in many creation stories throughout history. I am employing the structure and growth of a turtle shell to evoke our relationship to shifting tectonic plates, and the transforming memories we experience as our ever-shifting personal growth takes new forms and meanings. This micro/macro relationship to seeing, touching, and knowing the world throughout one’s life is navigated by our dwelling/home/shell/self. It prompts us to trust in our life as it unfolds and reminds us to stay in the present.

“I invite you into this cave which can function as a structure for social interaction as it offers a place to meet others from our community, to discuss current events, play, and perhaps to fall in love. — Daniel Buckingham