"Behind the Fold" documents the background, recent work and unique methods of sculptor, Dan Droz, who, at the age of 69, after a career as a designer and professor at Carnegie Mellon University, became a full-time sculptor. Despite his late start and exhibition constraints related to Covid, Droz has, in a few years, created a national reputation for a new formal language and innovative fabrication methods, documented in this book.
Droz's work spans a variety of materials and forms, though connected by an underlying philosophy - exposing the limits of our perception. His work often suggests the question, "How'd you do that?" as many of his thematic threads were influenced by his teenage experience as a professional magician, where he was keenly aware of the two simultaneous realities... what viewers see and what is being intentionally concealed. Droz sees this as metaphor for sculpture where the process of creating a sculpture is often disassociated from the thematic or formal elements
.
For example, Droz has invented a new method of glass forming that allows glass to be folded and formed while in a kiln, without human intervention. He's also developed methods for forming large metal sheets into complex forms using a method of 'scoring' metal so it can be folded much like paper. Similarly, his methods of creating structural integrity to crocheted wire mesh and his complex cast glass and bronze sculptures, made from 3D printed originals, allows him to create forms that would otherwise be difficult with traditional fabrication and casting techniques.
"Behind The Fold" provides a window into Droz's magical world of form, inventive fabrication methods and philosophies and showcases new perspectives on sculpture for other artists, collectors, curators, gallerists and art historians. Further, the body of work and thematic references exposes the limits of our understanding while expanding the possibilities for contemporary sculpture.
Broersma, Virginia: - Virginia Broersma is an art journalist and founder of the consulting firm, The Artist's Office. She has written and edited extensively for a variety of art journals and exhibition catalogs including for the Wignall Museum of Contemporary Art, Long Beach Post, Art and Cake, Art Scene, Peripheral Vision and Artweek LA and is also a practicing painter, exhibiting throughout California.
Droz, Dan: - Dan Droz is an internationally known designer and educator, who in 2019, at the age of 69, retired from his career in design to devote full time to sculpture, developing novel methods for forming metal, glass and wire mesh to draw attention to the limits of perception. His work is represented in collections throughout the U.S and has been featured in over 40 solo and juried exhibitions including the Westmoreland Museum of Art, James Gallery, the Pittsburgh International Airport and commissioned for large public and private works including the Museum of Art and History/Lancaster, CA and the entrance to the Heritage Trail in downtown Pittsburgh, PA. For 18 years, Droz taught design strategy at Carnegie Mellon University and co-founded the first university program in America to advance the use of "Design Thinking" in product development. Droz graduated cum laude from Harvard College in 1972 and in 1996, was recognized as a "Distinguished Visual Arts Alumni."
Frank, Peter: - Peter Frank is an art critic, curator, and poet who lives and works in Los Angeles. He is known for curating shows at the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum and has worked curatorially for Documenta, the Venice Biennale, Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía, and many other national and international venues. Frank contributes articles to numerous publications and has written many monographs and catalogs for one person and group exhibitions. He was the Senior Curator at the Riverside Art Museum and an art critic for Angeleno magazine and is a frequent contributor to The Huffington Post, Art in America, ARTnews, and Whitehot Magazine. He was also an editor for Visions Art Quarterly and an art critic for The Village Voice and The SoHo Weekly News in New York.
