The Inventor
1995
Dan Webb often works in wood—carving figures and objects that remind us of the time-honored tradition of using this material in sculptural practice. This humble figure holds in his hands a chisel and mallet—the craftsman’s tools from which he has shaped his own image. Self-made, The Inventor reveals the potential of the creative act and the individual’s will to create his own future, an act motivated out of necessity. In this context, The Inventor prompts us to think about the precarious interdependency between man and nature, and how we discover inventive ways to sustain ourselves. The artist describes the process of self-invention as sculptural: “Everyone’s a sculptor creating a version of themselves ready for public consumption.”
Wood
75 x 14 x 22 in. (190.5 x 35.56 x 55.88 cm)
Northwest Purchase Fund
95.141
Photo: Nathaniel Willson