The High Museum of Art in Atlanta will feature the sculpture of renowned artist Grainger McKoy through January 8th, 2012.
Birds are McCoy's specialty, and he studies them with a well-trained eye from his studio in
Sumter, South Carolina. An avid hunter, McKoy studied architecture at Clemson University and earned a degree in zoology. Having always shown a talent for art, McKoy ultimately honed his craft in
Beaufort, South Carolina, at the studio of mentor and Waterfowl Hall of Fame member Gilbert Maggioni (1922-2001).
Like the masters before him--most notably James Audubon (1785-1851) and Constantin Brancusi (1876-1957)--McKoy's sculptures invite us to question, wonder, observe and, above all, revel in the pure beauty of birds. Unlike most traditional bird carvers, McKoy seeks extreme realism, inserting individually-carved wood feathers rather than carving them from an existing block. McKoy also engages his knowledge of architecture to create complex, gravity-defying compositions.
McKoy focuses on the dynamics of avian behavior as inspiration--showing birds feeding, flocking, fleeing danger, or fighting. His sculptural representations appeal as much to aesthetic expectations as to the human fascination with drama and narrative. In much of his work, McKoy includes realistic reference to environment--grasses, mud, sand--to further the naturalistic illusion.
The Sculpture of Grainger McKoy (carver)
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Originally Posted by Glenn
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