PEAT DUGGINS
ST. BONIFACE’S LAST DAYS
September 10 – October 23, 2010
In 723, Germany’s patron saint, St. Boniface chopped down Donar’s Oak while taunting the gods of the dumbstruck Germanic tribesmen who held the tree sacred. Afterwards, he used the lumber to build the chapel, which served as the home base for his missionary outreach. St. Boniface’s felling of Donar’s Oak can be seen as a symbol that heralded a new relationship between Europeans and their environment, with a new concept of time and history.
From meditations on illogic, violence, natural and synthetic beauty, this exhibition reaches back in time to further explore Peat Duggins’ focus on man’s relationship with nature. Originating with the idea of chopping down a chapel and using the wood to build an oak tree, St. Boniface’s Last Days presents a thoughtful reversal of history. As in previous exhibitions, Duggins’ mastery of materials is evident as he presents a bold new direction in his work.
About the Artist:
After studying Film/Video at the Rhode Island School of Design and Brown University, Peat Duggins moved to Austin, Texas, where he co-founded the non-profit contemporary art gallery, the Fresh Up Club, and later the celebrated no-profit gallery & collective, Okay Mountain. Duggins’ work has been exhibited internationally and collected by both The Blanton Museum of Art and Austin Museum of Art. Other distinctions include a fellowship from the Pritzker Foundation, and numerous residencies including the Bemis Center for Contemporary Art and the Corporation of Yaddo, as well as a grant from of the Dallas Museum of Art. He currently lives and works as a practicing artist in Cambridge, MA.