The magnificent world of land-art: Patrick Dougherty
It is acceptable to consider that land art appeared in 1960-1970s as the response to the commercialization of the art, dependence of artists from the habits of museums, galleries, and auctions, which could not accept the leading ideas. That is why the end of the twentieth century is famous not only with the coming of the artists to the streets but also the embedment of their works in the natural environment, by the way, not only green, village-like, but also the city-like. The main concept of land-art which tends to be embodied by all its representatives is to visually demonstrate the connection of a human with the nature.
Photo americanart.si.edu
The American sculptor Patrick Dougherti with his art is able to remind all of us in not intrusive but clear manner that we should not forget about the world around us. Born in 1945 in the verily heart of America, state Oclahoma, since his childhood Patrick has felt his closeness to the nature that is why when he was child, teenager, and student he was able to be found in the forests, at the riversides and in the mountains but not in the borders of the city. Moving in the adolescence to North Carolina, Dougherti acquired the degree of bachelor in English and went to work as administrator to the clinics as well, then as clerk to bank department. However, in his thoughts he spent working time not there, among the papers, visitors and work chaos but among the tall trees, impassable woods, and murmur of waterfalls.
Photo img.izismile.com
One should not be a psychic so as to predict the quick dismissal of Dougherti from the ranges of white collars. In 1969 the future creator of original houses-nests and fantastic figures from the branches decided to become a student again to study that time the story of art and sculpture. Exactly at the same time Patrick along with his family thought about the repair works of their house. Verily there the artist worked out the majority of his ideas on the connection of building materials and natural elements. As Dougherti told later, this repairing that transformed into the full transformation of the accommodation became the most important school, the true living lab for him: ‘I wanted to face the problems alone. I wanted to find out my way through the house to the life. It was a true quest’. The result exceeded all the expectations as the neighbors came to savor the unusual decisions for long months after the finish of the building even though that time Dougherti only started sharpening skills.
Photo worldhobbies.ru
Since the beginning of 1970, in the times when land art started to gain popularity, Patrick became its moving power because after the transformation of his own house other orders came while the verily creator took up new and new ways of processing and combination of the alternate materials in the wonderful constructions. The logs, branches, stones, sticks, and soil have transformed into the sophisticated and sturdy elements of the building in the arms of the master. The popularity and fame came quickly because everything that is done by Dougherti looks really originally and through that the arm of human is not visible, moreover, it seems that verily mother-nature decided so. The author calls his own works as ‘stickworks’, by the way, his web-site is called in the same manner because with the help of that anybody who wants is able to get to the amazing travels in the worlds and fantasy of this unusual sculptor because his art is so valuable as it is not only spread all over the planet but also short-term as well as everything living. Perhaps, there is some important equality in it as the nature at first helps to create the masterpieces and after with the wind, rain, snow, and time it destroys them.
Photo uwsp.edu
Nowadays Patrick Dougherti works as the freelancer who decorates the cottages of the rich people, city spaces, village landscapes and different eco-galleries. He is truly imperceptible because the orders are much more than possibilities and time in the day. In the meantime, he has more than 300 various installations and objects. What is interesting is that the artist takes not more than three weeks for the creation of one masterpiece, and this number is not only magical but also optimal for the concentration of physical and intellectual powers, as the author considers. Dougherti has rather humble opinion about his works and expresses his thoughts like that: ‘I do not create anything new, I simply contribute some harmony in the space surrounding me’. Yet, though it is up to him, we cannot stop adoring such an activity as it is not for nothing the artist is the laureate of a great variety of the numerous awards and, for instance, we in Outlook can look through his works and offer you to do the same. 
Photo mmfa.org
Cover photo terrain.org
