The Art of Dewey Blocksma

May112009

The Art of Dewey Blocksma

Posted by Kelly
in blog, folk artist, Midwest, road trip
Tagged with Beulah, drive in, folk art environment, found object, michigan, self taught art, signage, welded

There is something about Michigan that I love…maybe it’s because it can’t be a “drive-thru” state, (those pesky great lakes flanking it makes it hard), but there is an authentic aura that is everywhere. Gentrification hasn’t taken over the resort areas, people are genuinely friendly, and maybe the long winters inspire creativity…and E.R. doctor-turned-artist Dewey Blocksma personifies that spirit.

Dewey Douglas Blocksma, paintings, mixed media sculptures

1943-

Beulah, Michigan

A plastic surgeon’s son, Dewey worked for years as an emergency room doctor in Michigan. His natural interest in the human form inspired his curiosity of “how things work.” This curiosity has translated into beautifully articulated found art sculptures and pantings. Giving up the world of medicine for art might seem crazy to anyone that hasn’t met Dewey or seen his art.

But once you see his paintings or sculptures, you see the cumulation of the influence of every experience, from childhood in Amarillo, Texas, then Pakistan, and back to the states in Michigan, and toys missed due to foreign travels, to anatomy classes, the genuine love of the female form, and fascination with breathing new life in ordinary objects that are usually discarded.

But don’t call them whimsical…