David B Dahlquist | “Relic of a Kiss” | 31” x 18” x 17” | ceramic
Special to the Times Vedette
An art exhibition by Lake Panorama resident David B. Dahlquist titled “INTERIORITY: New Work by David B. Dahlquist” will open Oct. 2 with an artist reception from 5-8 p.m. at Moberg Gallery, 2411 Grand Ave. in Des Moines and will remain on view through Nov. 6.
This exhibition explores the relationship between inner life, nature, architecture and the spaces we create to contain and protect what is within.
At the heart of “INTERIORITY” is the idea that the natural world can provide a metaphor for our own internal lives. Forests, caves, shells, nests, and other naturally occurring forms create sheltered spaces — places of refuge, protection, transformation and growth. Dahlquist considers these spaces alongside the human experience of identity, memory, consciousness and self-reflection.
“The concept of interiority in relationship to nature bridges philosophy, ecology, art and architecture,” Dahlquist writes. “It is the thread that connects mind and body.”
For Dahlquist, the concept also returns to one of the oldest relationships in art: the vessel. Throughout the history of ceramics, pottery has embodied the relationship between inside and outside — the physical act of creating a container becomes a meditation on what it means to hold, shelter, preserve and reveal.
Dahlquist’s longstanding relationship with clay makes this exploration particularly resonant. A nationally recognized artist, educator and public-art collaborator, Dahlquist has spent decades creating site-specific sculptural works that connect art, architecture, landscape and community. His work includes more than 80 public-art projects across the country, including the widely recognized “From Here to There” installation at Iowa’s High Trestle Trail Bridge. He also served as creative director of the RDG Dahlquist Art Studio and is currently principal emeritus and creative consultant with RDG Planning and Design.
Dahlquist returned to personal studio ceramics in 2020, reconnecting with the material and processes that have been central to his artistic practice. His work is rooted in storytelling and in the belief that materials, objects, and environments can create meaningful experiences for those who encounter them.
In “INTERIORITY,” these ideas come together in a body of work that encourages viewers to look beyond the exterior — to consider the spaces within objects, within nature and within us.
“Perhaps the oldest and most profound understanding of Interiority is found in the history of ceramics and specifically in pottery where the ‘spirit of containment,’ the relationship between inside and outside, is made real,” Dahlquist writes.