Location
GONE WILD: David McLimans will include a selection of the artist’s exquisite collages, gently humorous sculptures made with found materials, and sophisticated editorial illustrations. McLimans’ three children’s books will also be on display, including Gone Wild: An Endangered Animal Alphabet (2007), recognized as a Caldecott Honor Medalist and a New York Times Illustrated Book of the Year. In honor of McLimans’ playful approach to making art, the exhibit will include a children’s table and an opportunity for visitors to create ephemeral masks with McLimans’ stash of found materials and photograph them to share on social media.
David McLimans (1948–2014) was born in Beaver Dam and attended high school in Green Bay; as an adult, he lived in rural Richland County and in Madison. His editorial illustrations graced The Progressive, The New York Times, Washington Post, Harper’s, The Atlantic, and many other publications, and he taught graphic design and illustration at UW-Whitewater, Milwaukee Institute of Art and Design, and Madison College. As McLimans’ partner, Eva Hagenhofer, wrote shortly after his death: "With his art—in which light and dark oppose each other, share space, sometimes disturb, sometimes amuse—David wished to express his concern for the world beyond his drawing table, his hope that we humans can find ways to live in balance with each other and with the natural world."
Opening Reception: Saturday, July 18, 4-7pm
This exhibition was developed with love and dedication by Karen Cornelius, Michael Duffy, Patrick JB Flynn, Lewis Koch, Hannah McLimans, and the staff of the James Watrous Gallery.
David McLiman's exquisitely detailed collages will be on view.
An example of McLimans' ephemeral masks made from found materials. Visitors will be invited to make their own mask from McLimans' stash of found materials to photograph and share on social media. #davidmclimans #watrousgallery
Left: McLimans, David. Gone Wild, an Endangered Animal Alphabet, 2006.
Right: McLimans, David. Gone Fishing: Ocean Life by the Numbers, 2008.
