thomas doyle: miniature catastrophic glass contained memories

‘acceptable losses’, 2008 mixed media 16 x 13.5 inches diameter

american sculptor thomas doyle is noted for his ability to craft microcosmic idyllic scenes and isolated spaces having been overturned by catastrophe. the artist believes by completing his sculptures at a scale of 1:87 or 1:43, the destruction portrayed within the confine of a bell-jar evokes feelings of omnipotence in the viewer, as if they are recalling an event of the not so distant past. the experiences rendered in each piece are those of transformation in the lives of the depicted figures– the gallery goer may observe a dream-like moment, sealed away from their personal environment  while still remaining entirely accessible through a slightly distorted, yet clear, encasement.

‘my work mines the debris of memory through the creation of intricate worlds sculpted in 1:43 scale and smaller. often sealed under glass, the works depict the remnants of things past—whether major, transformational experiences, or the quieter moments that resonate loudly throughout a life. in much the way the mind recalls events through the fog of time, the works distort reality through a warped and dreamlike lens.’ -thomas doyle

thomas doyle’s work is on show as part of the exhibition ‘american dreamers: reality and imagination in contemporary american art’ at centro di cultura contemporanea strozzina at the palazzo strozzi, in florence, italy from march 9th to july 15th, 2012.

‘acceptable losses’, 2008 by thomas doyle mixed media 16 x 13.5 inches diameter

‘armistice’, 2011 mixed media 25 x 21 x 18 inches

‘armistice’, 2011 mixed media 25 x 21 x 18 inches

‘firing for effect’, 2010 mixed media 44 inches diameter

‘firing for effect’, 2010 mixed media 44 inches diameter

‘proxy (1340 chippewa dr.)’, 2011 mixed media 16 x 14 inches diameter

‘proxy (1340 chippewa dr.)’, detail

‘null cipher’, 2006 mixed media 14 x 13.75 x 13.75 inches

‘null cipher’, 2006 mixed media 14 x 13.75 x 13.75 inches

‘a corrective’, 2010 mixed media 42" x 40.75" diameter

‘the barrage lifts’, 2010 mixed media 16 x 13.5 inches diameter

‘coming from where we’re going’, 2010 mixed media 24 x 14 inches diameter

‘coming from where we’re going’, 2010 mixed media 24 x 14 inches diameter

‘subsidence’, 2011 mixed media 68 x 118 x 48 inches installed at the museum of arts and design, new york

‘subsidence’, detail