I just saw my friend Terry Hays’ exhibit “Irreversible Change” at the MAC in Dallas. What a treat!

Terry’s expertise is in making stage sets for theater productions. His artistic creativity can also be seen in small, and not so small, 3-D sculpture.

Swimming to Salvation, escape from the water demons, Acrylic on wood, Sintra, 52" x 78" x 12.5"

Swimming to Salvation... Detail

He acknowledges that these sculptures are models for possible stage sets. I saw them as stand alone sculptures. They are to be viewed from the front, but the various layers can be seen from the side. The wood and Sintra surfaces are painstakingly and exquisitely painted. Seen from a distance they look like glass mosaics. As you come closer, you see the incredible painted detail.

Pembina Highway - Acrylic on wood, Sintra 52" x 44" x 19.5" - detail

Terry says, “These models draw heavily from current events such as the tsunami in Japan, earthquake in Haiti and wind driven fires in California, all natural disasters of unimaginable scale.”

He uses a special saw to make his precise curved and angled cuts out of the Sintra, only slightly  softer than plexiglass.

Terry recycles, too. This piece incorporates tree roots, cleaned and painted. Survival in the midst of chaos.

Irreversible Change, Acrylic on wood, Sintra, 5' x 12'

Irreversible Change - detail

Some of my favorite pieces are grouped on one wall. They are small and more monochromatic, mostly browns, black and white, but boy, are they powerful. They are very high relief, very complex and very compelling.  Think desert flora, Native American ritual objects and African headdresses.

Souvenir #3, Acrylic on wood, Sintra, 11" x 11"

Untitled, Acrylic on wood, Sintra, 19" x 24"

Detail

The show runs until July 7. Catch it if you can. It’s a great way to start your summer.

Thank you, Terry, for giving us such beautiful and sensitive works of art.