Dream Forest
“An ode to the disappearing forest ecosystem.”
In a darkened room, the viewer walks among the highlighted, 12-foot-tall human torsos as if they are in a dream forest. To continue the exhibit onto the walls and to help bring the forest into the room, LeQuire created 8-foot-tall woodblock prints that are embossed with leaves.
LeQuire wrote about a series of dreams he had, and in collaboration with author, Madison Bell, edited this into a nine-part narrative poem which LeQuire incised in the sculpture, embedding it as part of the final surface texture.
“This is Alan’s biggest, most significant work that comes out of his inner life,” Bell says, “Dream Forest is showing how our relationship with the natural world is the core of what makes us human.”
Artist Statement:
“I feel lucky to have grown up on a farm and to have had all the experiences I’ve had outside and in the woods. This work is about my dreamscape, but it’s also about the landscape. It’s an ode to the disappearing forest ecosystem. These sculptures are like old growth trees in that they welcome and support us with a living presence.
My primary focus has always been on form as a language to communicate feeling. This is a further exploration of form, blending human and vegetal form with the deep emotion that comes from my personal dreamscape.
Unlike other colossal sculpture projects such as Athena Parthenos or Musica, this is different in that it is my own idea. There is no client. These pieces are modeled directly in plaster, but I hope to make them more permanent by casting them in bronze.
One of the wonderful things about dreams is that they often synthesize the disparate elements in your life. In my case this has happened repeatedly in a specific form, a three-dimensional object. The space between the forms is important too, and so is the scale. The form, the texture, and the spaces between all work together to convey a sense of the living presence in the sculpture.
I think for all of us personal growth and transformation occur first in our dreams before they occur in waking life, and the sculptures in this exhibit document a personal transformation that has been taking place for years in my dream life. The earliest dreams that I remember had to do with colossal forms that were usually threatening or frightening, but lately these same forms have become anthropomorphic and more welcoming, nurturing... almost as if I am being visited by very supportive ancestors.”
In the Making…
This time-lapse captures the evolution of Dream Forest, offering a glimpse into the rhythm of the studio and the transformation of material over time. Each stage reflects LeQuire’s hands-on process and attention to form.
Dream Forest In Progress
An art studio with various sculptures, books, and art supplies on shelves and tables. Prominent in the foreground is a tall sculpture covered in metal wrap. The background shows bust sculptures, a skeleton model, and audio equipment on shelves.
A man working on a sculpture in an art studio, standing on a ladder and using a power tool on a tall, white sculpture with metal covering. There are other sculptures and art supplies in the background.
A person in a workshop adding plaster to a tall sculpture of a human torso, with other large sculptures, tools, and supplies around.
Individuals working on large plaster sculptures in an art studio or workshop. The sculptures resemble oversized tree trunks or abstract forms with natural wood textures. One person is on a ladder, and others are handling materials.
A person working on a sculpture, wearing a mask, surrounded by art supplies and sculptures in a studio.
Two large, unfinished sculptures of human torsos in an artist's workshop, surrounded by tools, materials, and other sculptures.
Interior of a workshop with a tall, multi-level wooden structure being built. Two women and a man are present, with the woman on the right smiling. Shelves with various supplies and a skeleton model are visible in the background.
Artist Alan Lequire standing in a workshop next to a tall, multi-level interior armature structure with curved and open sections. Shelves and bust sculptures are visible in the background.
Two men in a workshop assembling a large wooden sculpture of a figure. The workshop has various sculptures and art supplies on tables, with fluorescent lights on the ceiling and an industrial garage door in the background.
A wooden sculpture frame being built in a workshop, with shelves displaying various small sculptures and figurines in the background.
Three men stand in an art studio surrounded by sculptures, including a large wooden frame structure on the floor, seated next to a painted woman sculpture and adjacent smaller sculptures on tables.
A metallic wrapped sculpture in an artist's studio, with sculptures and statues in the background.
A man working with wood in a workshop with shelves of various wood pieces in the background.
A man in a yellow shirt standing next to a tall, abstract metallic sculpture in an indoor space with white walls and a garage-style window. The sculpture is being held by the artist Alan LeQuire.
Workshop with sculptures and models, including a wooden armature, a partially covered large sculpture, and various tools and materials on tables and shelves.
Workshop with various sculptures and foam structures in progress, including a tall, narrow armature sculpture in the center and large, curved white forms around it.
View through two white textured sculptures into an art studio or gallery space with shelves, bust sculptures, and a tall wooden sculpture structure in the center.
A man works on a wooden sculpture in a studio, with shelves of books and art busts in the background. The sculpture is tall and narrow with a curving, abstract shape.
An adult man with glasses and brown hair, wearing a navy blue T-shirt with a red and white logo, helping a young girl with brown hair in braids with pink beads, use a green device on a table in a workshop or art studio with art on the walls.
A man and a young girl working on a woodcut print on a table in a workshop or storage room. The man is standing and the girl is sitting, with various items and large white rolls in the background.
A man stands in a workshop next to a large wood block print featuring a detailed black and beige design of a hand holding a bone. The workshop has tools on a workbench, a fan, and storage shelves.
The image shows several tools and parts scattered on a dark work surface, including a mallet with a brown wooden handle, a metal chisel, and elongated wooden or metal pieces.
Three men standing inside a workshop with sculpture and woodworking projects; one man is wearing a white t-shirt, another a dark blue shirt and hat, and the third a tan shirt; large wooden sculpture framework and other sculptures are visible in the background.
Two people are working together to build a large wooden sculpture that resembles a staircase or coiled structure in a workshop space. The background shows various art sculptures and supplies.
A man standing next to a tall, unfinished wooden shelving unit in a workshop. The shelving unit has curved shelves and vertical supports and is still in the construction stage. The workshop has various sculptures, shelves with art supplies, and tools, with a person working or standing nearby.
A studio with a tall wooden armature resembling a torso.. Two women are standing nearby, one with gray hair, smiling, and wearing a plaid shirt. The workshop has tools, shelves, and a skeleton model in the background.
Wooden armature structure being built by a person in a studio with shelves of sculptures in the background.
An artist's workspace with printmaking rollers, ink cans, brushes, and a etching plate covered in dark ink on a cluttered worktable.
A man artist Alan Lequire with light hair wearing a denim shirt writing on a large textured white sculpture with a black marker.
A man with gray hair and a watch on his left wrist, wearing a blue shirt, is writing or carving words on a white, textured, curved wall with black ink or paint. The words are partially visible, with some characters readable, including 'INTO' and 'AN'.
Wooden sculptures of human body parts, such as legs and torsos, in an artist's workshop.
