Montreal artist Douglas Scholes explores issues of maintenance in his sculptural work—concerns prompted after one of his projects fell apart. As Scholes explains, "My artistic practice began with a focus on sculpture and the creation of objects with respect to formal artistic concerns. Through time and experimentation, I have become interested in maintenance and art. The action of deterioration is intrinsic to the nature of all: things wear out. An object, if left undisturbed, will wear down and crumble away, while the pile of materials, if left undisturbed, will never assemble into an object on its own.”

During the summer of 2008, the MacLaren’s outdoor courtyard will house a durational work by the artist, comprised of two, six-foot towers fabricated from hollow cast beeswax bricks. As soon as Scholes’ towers are constructed, environmental factors (such as sun, wind, and rain as well as human intervention) will take their toll, impacting on the artwork’s stability. As the integrity of Scholes’ structures begins to break down, maintenance will be assumed in an effort to preserve the original forms. A continuous cycle of destruction and attempted reconstruction will ensue, the gesture operating as a metaphor for the perpetual restoration of urban structures, while the courtyard becomes imbued with the distinctive scent of honey.

Douglas Scholes received a Fine Arts Diploma from the School of Fine Arts, Georgian College in 1993; a BFA from the University of Lethbridge, Alberta in 1999; and a Maîtrise en arts visuels et médiatiques—création, Université du Québec à Montréal in 2001. He lives and works in Montreal.

Exhibition ponsored by Peter Koetsier and Wendy Wingfelder

Douglas Scholes, (This is) What happens when a thing is maintained (?), Part III 2007. Photo Jean-Pierre Caissie