August 8 – November 19, 2003
Dennis Gallagher: Icons in Clay
Oakland Museum of CA Sculpture Court
1111 Broadway
Located in downtown Oakland
The Oakland Museum of California Sculpture Court at City Center is a collaboration between the Oakland Museum of California and the 1111 Broadway Building.
Sculpture Court hours are 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Monday through Friday. Closed on holidays.

Presented by the Oakland Museum of California Professional Services division

Dennis Gallagher; Ball Suspended; 1993; ceramic; 69" x 33" x 21"

Dennis Gallagher expands the limits of clay to produce sculpture that embodies both timelessness and modernity. While his architectural works appear to be rooted firmly in the past, Gallagher is very much influenced by contemporary, urban iconography. Street signs, freeways structures and ruined monuments inspire him. Remaining committed to the present, Gallagher interprets these contemporary symbols to evoke tension and instability in several ways: the juxtaposition of bold, minimal forms with intimately marked surface details; the union of angular elements and smooth, spherical shapes; the intimation of impending movement from objects that, at first glance, appear to have remained inert for centuries.

Throughout his career, clay has been Gallagher’s primary medium. He explains, “…clay is the best sculptural medium because it is capable of being worked very large and at the same time has an immediate surface. Clay is both additive and reductive, unlike other materials. Clay has a responsive surface that you can affect. For me, it’s absolutely the best material to work in.”

Gallagher was born in San Bruno, CA and received his BA and MFA from California State University in Fresno, CA. He has taught at both the California College of Arts and Crafts and the San Francisco Art Institute. His work is included in several museum collections, including the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, CA; the San Jose Museum of Art, CA; the Crocker Museum of Art, Sacramento, CA; and Runnymeade Sculpture Park, Woodside, CA. He is represented by Rena Bransten Gallery, San Francisco, CA.

Organized by the Professional Services division of the Oakland Museum of California.