patrick dougherty weaves daydreams from willow trees at tippet rise, montana

patrick dougherty weaves daydreams from willow trees at tippet rise, montana
photo by djuna zupancic, all images courtesy of tippet rise

for more than thirty years, patrick dougherty has built more than 250 monumental environmental works and architecturally scaled sculptures made with natural materials and primitive building techniques. on the 11,500-acre cattle ranch in montana that forms part of tippet rise art center — a major new destination for music and contemporary sculpture — dougherty has constructed ‘daydreams’.

created in collaboration with JXM & associates and CTA architects engineers, the artist first realized a base structure reminiscent of an 18th-century style prairie school, placing the frontier-period replica in the landscape. using crafted woven compositions made from locally-sourced willow saplings and sticks, dougherty has wrapped the outside of the school in a monumental field of entwined branches, highlighting the fundamental connection between art and nature. resembling imaginary students leaning against the walls, the installation evokes the dreamlike atmosphere that sometimes settles over a class. the artwork continues within the school building, forming giant canopies of natural material that traverse above visitors to the space. 

dougherty has constructed ‘daydreams’ at tippet rise art center 
photo by alban bassuet

also at tippet rise is ensamble studio‘s ‘structures of landscape’, previously featuerd by designboom here. the project includes a series of monumental structures cast from the terrain — equal parts shelter, sculpture and landscape — that emerge from the earth on a monumental scale.

the installation wraps a structure reminiscent of an 18th-century style prairie school
photo by alban bassuet

the piece has been made with crafted woven compositions made from locally-sourced willow
photo by erik petersen

dougherty has wrapped the outside of the school in a monumental field of entwined branches
photo by djuna zupancic

the installation seeks to highlight the fundamental connection between art and nature
photo by djuna zupancic