Briony Douglas’s Sculptures Go Big on Nostalgia
This Erin artist creates oversized, joyful pieces – like giant sneakers, massive boots and huge guitars – meant to inspire happiness in all ages.
Wonder doesn’t have to disappear when we grow up, according to Briony Douglas. The Erin-based sculptor’s large-scale creations – think giant cowboy boots, a guitar the size of a house, and Brobdingnagian sneakers – are rooted in nostalgia, pop culture and a sense of play. Take the 500-pound rope elephant she made for Holt Renfrew. Or her first permanent public sculpture, a massive train car unveiled in St. Thomas in August.
Douglas uses all manner of materials, including roofing nails, bottle caps and hockey sticks to make pieces up to 25 feet tall. Two buzzy hockey-themed pieces are a Heated Rivalry mosaic and a helmet commemorating the inaugural six Professional Women’s Hockey League teams. Douglas says after a decade of work, she’s left behind limiting notions of what art should be. “I create art to make people happy, including myself.” brionydouglas.com
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