Artist Creates 300th 'Stickwork' Piece At Denver Botanic Gardens
LITTLETON, Colo. (CBS4) – Artist Patrick Dougherty completed his latest installation made up completely of branches at the Denver Botanic Gardens Chatfield Farms this week. The piece opens to the public on Saturday, his 300th piece using his "Stickwork" technique.
"We always try to find a starting point for the object we're going to do," said Dougherty. "I'm a little scared of snakes so the Colorado Rattlesnake came to my mind."
He says the piece began looking like a serpent but by the time he completed it was more like a housing structure. He had the help of several volunteers and his son, who has worked with him on projects like this for three years.
This installation took three weeks to complete; not his first in Colorado. His work can last around two years depending on the weather and he expects it could last longer at Chatfield Farms because of the dry conditions.
"You kind of search for some kind of feeling that will be imparted by looking at the piece," he said. "The touchstone of having a stick in your hand is kind of an experience that everyone has as a human."
Dougherty takes into consideration how he can make these experiences accessible to everyone. He made the paths wide enough for a wheelchair and made sure he had enough open spaces that would make children feel welcome.
"Part of working with sticks, you don't want to trap people," he said. "It just gives us a chance by moving the initial branches to come up with all kinds of strange architecture."
Branches of different sizes and colors are used to weave together the piece, he says sapling trees are a great source of the material he needs for these installations. Volunteers were applying mud to several spots on Thursday to make sure it kept its shape. Dougherty says the walls are so sturdy you can push up against any side and you will not damage the piece.
"If you want to throw away your cane, you can lean on the wall, they're pretty strong here," he said.
While Dougherty says so many people enjoyed playing with sticks as children, he started working with the material without fully appreciating the meaning behind it until later. Not only do branches serve as a form of entertainment when you are younger, he points out that they have been a building tool for civilization throughout history.
"I think artists just start making things and then they make up the reason for them later," Dougherty said.
He knows families will be able to enjoy the piece together but he also wonders if it can help everyone who visits the site to reconnect with the outdoors. "Stickwork" opens at Chatfield Farms on Saturday.
"I hope that it appeals to some of the universal feelings in humankind where they like simple shelter and they imagine the Garden of Eden and trying to get back there," Dougherty said.
