Jim Doran: Momento Mori
Sept 7 – October 27, 2012
School 33 Art Center
Jim Doran’s objects reflect his fascination with the sea, the macabre, the divine and the metaphysical. His tiny dioramas from paper cutouts, pen & ink drawings and recycled packaging become tiny theaters where giant narratives unfold. Doran explores the concept that there are many worlds: the world we live in, the world each of us carries around inside ourselves and even a mystical “Land of the Dead.”
He places his ideas inside of found objects, which gives them their own purpose and mission. By working in a small scale, he is able to recycle containers and packaging, giving them a second life of their own. In spite of the dark subject matter, the work is optimistic and joyful and you can clearly see the spirited fun that went into the making. Doran finds it comforting to explore mortality in his work…it reminds him to live more fully, love the people around him and gives him hope that, when they pack him away in the ground, the stories will go on.
Jim Doran is a self taught artist. So see more of his work: http://jimdoran.net/art/
