The Match of the Matriarchs , Dodson’s all female, life-sized chess set, debuted at the Boston Sculptors Gallery in 2018.
From the press release: “Boston Sculptors Gallery presents Match of the Matriarchs, Donna Dodson’s latest series of mysterious animal-human hybrid wood sculptures, on display October 3 through November 4, 2018. Featuring a sculpture group configured as a chess set, Dodson’s increasingly well-known female forms are carved with humor, sensitivity, and attention to the interplay of woodgrain and color.
Dodson cites the genesis of her chess set in her solo show at New Bedford Art Museum in 2016. She explained, “I created five ‘mermaids’ inspired by the history of ship prow carvings. I wanted to do more with the series, so I set myself the challenge of making an entire chess set.” This idea allowed her to build on the concept of sculptures that interact directly with each other, while reflecting on the interactions among species that have nothing to do with us humans.
Dodson delved into natural history books such as Squid Empire: The Rise and Fall of the Cephalopods by Danna Staff, The Soul of an Octopus: A Surprising Exploration into the Wonder of Consciousness by Sy Montgomery, and Other Minds: The Octopus, the Sea, and the Deep Origins of Consciousness by Peter Godfrey-Smith. “The existence of squid was discovered due to the scars on the sides of whales,” Dodson noted. “This deep sea battle between the squid and the whale led me to create a team of cephalopods—octopus, squid and cuttlefish—battling against the cetaceans—orca, narwhal and elephant seal.”
To learn about the game of chess, Dodson researched Birth of the Chess Queen: A History by Marilyn Yalom and Chess Queen: Women in the Ultimate Intellectual Sport by Jennifer Shahade. “The original chess set was composed of King, Vizier/General, and other male military figures,” Dodson explained. “The queen came onto the board around the same time that many powerful queens reigned in England, Russia and Spain.” Dodson reflected on that change, deciding, “My set is maternal—I am thinking about family matriarchies, the realm of power in women's lives, how women wield power and the bonds between women in families.”
Dog (Hyena Woman), 23" tall, red oak, paint 2015 SOLD
Hog (Mama Warthog), 20" tall, walnut, 2015 SOLD
Birds of a Feather
This series premiered at the Boston Sculptors Gallery in 2012 and then it traveled to the Fountain Fine art Fair in New York, NY, The Muskegon Museum of Art in Muskegon, Michigan, The Academy Art Museum in Easton, Maryland and The Art Complex Museum in Duxbury, Massachusetts.
Condorita, 6 1/2" tall, walnut 2014 SOLD
Steve, the South African Penguin
18” tall, cherry, maple, paint 2019 SOLD
Conquistadora, 23" tall, walnut 2013 SOLD
Mama Duck, 18" tall, mulberry wood & paint, 2013 SOLD
Prodigal Daughter, 18" tall mulberry wood & paint 2012 SOLD
Mother Hen, 20" tall, wood, paint 2005 SOLD
Seagull Cinderella, 15" tall, wood paint 2002 SOLD
rown Pelican, 34" tall, wood, pigment, paint 2011
Culture Vulture I, 38" tall, wood, paint 2011
Red Wing Black Bird, 40" tall, wood, paint 2011
Culture Vulture II, 40" tall, wood, paint 2011 SOLD
The Little Match Girl, 39" tall, wood, paint 2011 SOLD
Secretary Bird, 41" tall, wood, paint 2011 SOLD
Little Red Riding Hood, 32" tall, wood, paint 2011 SOLD
Hawkeye, 41" tall, wood, pigment, enamel 2011
Black Swan, 32" tall, wood, enamel 2008 SOLD
White Stork, 39" tall, wood, paint 2011
Bantam, 46" tall, wood, paint 2011
Cardinal, 38" tall, wood, paint 2010
Dancing Crane, 32" tall, wood, paint 2004 SOLD
Empress Penguin, 26" tall, wood, paint 2005 SOLD
Ugly Duckling, 30" tall, wood, paint 2005 SOLD
Caribbean Queen, 30" tall, wood, paint 2004 SOLD
Green Falcon, 24" tall, wood, paint 2003 SOLD
Pregnant Owl, 20" tall, wood, paint 2003 SOLD
Goose Goddess, 22" tall, wood, paint 2002 SOLD
Elephant Parade
This series premiered at the Boston Sculptors Gallery in 2009 and then it traveled to the New Hampton School in New Hampton, New Hampshire, The Boston Convention and Exhibition Center in Boston, Massachusetts and The Provincetown Art Museum in Provincetown, Massachusetts.
Personal stories from the special people who bought my work.
Madame Hippo ( Marilyn)
Sight unseen, a collector in Switzerland commissioned me to make her a sculpture of a hippo, since that is her favorite animal. We started with the choice of wood- she wanted Cedar of Lebanon, since her mother is from Lebanon, but that seemed difficult to obtain, so we debated cherry versus walnut and finally settled on walnut. I sent her weekly progress updates. We decided to meet in Amsterdam for the delivery, and spent the weekend catching up while strolling through art museums together.
She was thrilled with my sculpture of Mme Hippo, which she nicknamed Marilyn for the famous photo of Marilyn Monroe, with her skirt blowing up from the hot air vent below. She said the process was like an adoption, seeing the photos of the work in process, then the finished piece, then choosing a name for it. I was very touched that something I made had so much meaning for her. Thanks to art, beautiful friendships, such as this one, are born!
