We recently connected with Doug Cannell and have shared our conversation below.
Doug, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. What’s the kindest thing anyone has ever done for you?
I make my sculpture in a former factory that has been converted to art studios and a gallery, and we have an “open studios” event once a year when people can visit, meet us, and see our work. At one of these events several years ago, a local art collector here in Detroit became interested in my work, and he had his eye on one piece in particular that I had on display that day. A couple of weeks later he contacted me about buying that piece; I told him a price and he agreed, stipulating that the price included delivery and placement, since the piece was too large for him to handle. About a week later I delivered and placed the sculpture to his condo, an amazing apartment near the top of a high rise, filled with beautiful art. After it was placed he handed me a check for substantially more than the amount we agreed on. I told him he must have misunderstood, but he told me, “You don’t charge enough for your artwork.” Needless to say, his generosity blew me away. But it also got me thinking about the real value of my art in people’s lives, not just monetary value, but how painting or sculpture can weave its way into the fabric of a person’s life when they live with it day after day. That act of kindness opened my eyes to a new way to think about art.
Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.
Creativity is in my blood. For many years I wrote and performed music. I love graphic design. I love cooking without recipes. And I really love making sculpture, which is what I have focused on for the past 15 years or so. I was raised in a household that really valued creativity and I was encouraged to pursue my artistic goals. I studied art at Wayne State University in Detroit, and for many years after that my art-making went in fits and starts, often set aside by a need for a more steady income. When I was finally able to pursue my sculpture in earnest, I did it any way I could; taking classes to use as my “studio”, and eventually taking space of my own. The floodgates had opened and a lot of art began to pour out, and it does to this day.
My early work was predominantly in clay, then later in steel, and most recently in wood, and while my choice of materials has evolved, an aesthetic throughline is present in my practice which often blurs the lines between art, craft and design. A consistent theme in my work is the juxtaposition of the organic and the industrial, so I might combine elements of beautiful wood with steel or aluminum in any given piece.
My artwork is also informed by his work as a graphic designer, a field in which I have also worked steadily.
I also teach at the College for Creative Studies. I love teaching, but I really limit my workload because I prioritize my own art practice over teaching.
What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?
When I am in a museum or art gallery, there are two ways I experience a work of art. One way is to have a “conversation” with the artwork: considering what it might mean, thinking about it in historical context, reading about its back-story, imagining how it was made.
Another way is to just let the artwork speak to me, without “thinking” about the work at all. I just stand in front of it and let it wash over me.
I prefer the latter. For me, the visceral, emotional reaction to a piece is where artistic magic happens; an enigmatic joy and fascination that does not require analysis.
As an artist, my most rewarding experience is when people have that gut-level reaction to one of my sculptures, where it brings them joy organically, without the need to “understand” it in some way.
Granted, that experience is pretty rare. So if a piece doesn’t speak to me like that, I often go to Plan B – the more intellectual route to explore and understand it, which sometimes helps me connect with a piece.
How can we best help foster a strong, supportive environment for artists and creatives?
Creativity is the driving force behind change and innovation in our world. Historically, artists, musicians, choreographers, filmmakers, and playwrights have been responsible for vast social movements with repercussions well beyond museums and theaters. As artists, we don’t do small, incremental change. We push boundaries with ideas that sometimes make people uncomfortable. We don’t show people the status quo; we show them how things could be. This power of imagination cannot be overstated.
And while Americans have benefitted greatly from the innovation that creative thinking has spawned, the majority of us do not recognize or appreciate it. The result has been a gradual systematic cutback in support for the arts. Most schools, especially urban schools, have little to no arts programming. Creativity has been branded as a luxury item, and decades from now our society will be feeling the effect.
We have a responsibility to nurture creativity and we need to step up to the plate and support it. We could put art and music back in schools, provide grant and scholarship money, support arts organizations, theaters, and orchestras with a relatively small increase in financial commitment by the federal and state governments. It’s time to make this change.
Contact Info:
- Website: dougcannell.com
- Instagram: @dougcannell
- Youtube: www.youtube.com/@DougMagnet/videos