Orion, 2020
David Sheldon
Etowah, NC
Painted steel
90” x 48” x 32”
Photos by Chase Reynolds
Artist Statement
Having lived in the Western North Carolina mountains for many years, I draw from the power and majesty of the mountains, the star-filled skies at night, and a sense that one is connected, in some way, to this vast, mysterious universe that we live in. My Skyworks series of sculptures are created with what I like to call a ‘NASA aesthetic’ and are inspired, in outward form, by the immaculate instruments of space exploration. Artmaking allows me to explore the mysteries of the universe with a more metaphysical approach, allowing room for questions rather than supplying concrete answers.
About the Artist
David Sheldon received a BFA in painting from the Rhode Island School of Design in 1984. His time at RISD included a formative year spent painting in Rome, Italy, as part of RISD’s European Honors Program. As a grad student, he brought sculpture into the mix. His thesis exhibition for his MFA in 1990 at the University of Maryland incorporated large-scale, mixed-media paintings, as well as sculptural works. Mentors have included internationally acclaimed sculptor, Anne Truitt, and sculptor James Sanborn. Sheldon worked as an assistant to Sanborn on his monumental work, Kryptos, installed at the CIA headquarters in Langley, Virginia, 1990. Sheldon continues to create cutting-edge sculptural works in metal, as well as provocative public art.