September 6 - 30, 2022
From Charles W. Eisemann Center of Performing Arts:
“My work reflects my interest in place, the titles of my paintings being names of cities and states, parks and zoos, etc… In a collective way, they can both affirm and negate a preconceived notion of place. I’ve organized my work into different series, each of which involves the investigation of a space for human and/or animal habitation.
AMERICAN DREAM series: I have been traveling throughout the United States in search of homes to paint that wave the American flag. (Each house is named after the state I discovered it in.) I’m curious as to how these homes look together side by side, reflecting as they do, varied styles, economic classes, and/or distinct lifestyles. What connects them, of course, is what appears to be a patriotic gesture of displaying the stars and stripes. My thought was to arrange them as one would arrange patterns in a quilt as a suggestion of harmony, and to paint them in a style that speaks to the craft of colonial painting to reference our cultural traditions. This approach is meant to call out for a kind of unity the country seems to be losing at the moment. I have no idea who actually lives in these houses. I’m not interested in their political views, race, gender, education, etc… beyond the national pride they express publicly from the façade of their private domain. I’m interested in how these places reflect a uniquely American character through a definition of space and a reflection of identity. For me, they are reminders of how I can still feel positively about America, despite the challenges we currently face.
ZOOLOGICAL series: I have also traveled extensively to visit zoos. My paintings originate from the drawings and photographs that I bring back from my travels. For me, a zoo represents an “ideal place” that essentially functions as a microcosm of the planet. You could visit the earth’s main continents by only walking a few miles. In a zoo, you lose a sense of place; they rarely distinctively reflect the town or country where they are found. Interestingly, they are most often a place designed for humans and their enjoyment rather than a haven for animals that brings them contentment. In a metaphorical sense, they remind us of how we have defiantly announced ourselves to be the guardians of the natural world, a role that currently we do not take seriously. I am excited to have this large exhibition space to contrast the living spaces we design for ourselves alongside those that we design for the living beings that we share this planet with. My hope is that the viewer will see these built environments in a slightly different way after visiting this exhibition.
Douglas Darracott was born in Little Rock, Arkansas, and currently lives and works in Plano, Texas. He received his MFA in painting from North Texas and currently works as an art teacher at Plano West Senior High School.
The exhibition “Douglas Darracott: Recent Paintings” will be on display at the Eisemann Center of Performing Arts in Richardson through the month of September 2022. A reception will be held Friday, September 23, 2022 between 6 and 8 pm.”
Reception: September 23, 2022 | 6–8 pm
2351 Performance Drive
Richardson, 75082 TX
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