Dean Logan :: Wood Sculpture

Mid-Century Modern: 2021-2024

This series was inspired by my desire to try something new – a really different direction for the work. I’ve always been a fan of the Mid-Century aesthetic and found some fantastic inspiration in a 1962 book from my mother’s library: The Doubleday Book of Interior Decorating & Encyclopedia of Styles by Albert Kornfeld. There were great combinations of vintage hues, natural wood finishes and bold shapes. No. 6 was the last one of 2021 and I decided to lean into the muted tones of the era. No. 7 is the first of 2022 where I continue to explore the subtle hues. No. 12 is the first of 2023 where I’m experimenting with color combinations and staining wood with color. No. 19 is where I started experimenting with polished metal panels in the composition plus an extra emphasis on the wood textures, downplaying the colored pieces.

Big Color: 2019 - 2020

This was an effort to really lean into all the color exploration I’d done over the years. And I also wanted to push these into a real 3D space. You’ll notice they all have a central axis that looks different from the left, front and right sides. These were also a reaction to the COVID lockdown. The bold colors and chunky compositions were my way of combating the isolation of working from home and keeping a positive outlook.

Conflicted: 2016 - 2018

The passion and energy of the previous series took a sharp turn during this period. I was trying to strike a balance between a rich textured palette and intricate, non-linear compositions. I was torn between the two directions and found it increasingly difficult to make the formula work. I think a couple of these are successful, but as a series I think it shows the uncertainty. I include them to chronicle my journey as an artist with all its highs and lows.

New Inspirations: 2010 - 2015

What a year 2010 was! Lots happening – I went to SXSW for the first time and we moved into a new house where I could finally build a studio and start working again on a regular basis. Our older home didn’t have a space for that, so I hadn’t done any work since 2005. The pent-up desire to create combined with the energy of everything happening around me resulted in what I consider my most vibrant work up to this point.

Pop Art: 2002 - 2004

Here I begin to back away from the loose textures and gradient. and explored using mostly flat colors. Those previous techniques started to feel undisciplined to me and I believed going in this direction would result in more sophisticated, and perhaps mature work. A couple of these missed the mark but I’m largely very happy with how this phase refined my style.

Explorations: 1998 - 2001

With this series I deliberatley moved away from the horizontal format to more compact compositions. I continued exploring the 3D shape additions and the airbrushing plus more textural paint techniques like stripes and stippling. I also did some experimental pieces with thick paint using palate knives vs. brushes, ray-shaped pieces and even one done completely with some wood I found in an old paint factory in Sanford that was being renovated.

Horizontals: 1992 - 1997

When I started creating these as a “hobby” I kept with the horizontal format. But I did begin to explore using 3D elements such as the twisted bands and cut-out shapes. I also began using my airbrush to create gradients and subtle hue shifts on the pieces.

The Sarasota Original: 1990

The piece on the left is the original one I did that weekend when I was a design student (you can read that on the Story page). It was a pretty rough paint job so my mother redid the colors when she had the piece hanging in her Naples, Florida home. It was a definite improvement. The piece on the right is my recreation of the original I did a few years later, albeit with some refinements. Those colors are the original palette.