Amazons Among Us: Sculpture by Donna Dodson
Boston Sculptors Gallery • Boston, MA • bostonsculptors.com • May 5–June 6, 2021
In this time of pandemic, there is a new recognition of the complex balancing act that is the reality of many women. On the 100th anniversary of women’s suffrage, Donna Dodson’s striking exhibit, Amazons Among Us at Boston Sculptors Gallery, creates mythic figures that personify both historic and modern-day roles for women. The combination of ferocity and womanliness is a common theme. These women are not pushovers.
All sculptures are carved in wood, a relative rarity in contemporary art. They are circa 40–45″ high. Dodson’s skill is evident—these highly defined forms convey a flow that carries the viewer around the sculpture. Dodson has an intimate knowledge of wood, and the pattern of grain and form are integrated seamlessly into each figure.
Alpha Female, with her eagle head and beak, stands tall before us. Dodson dedicates the sculpture to her great-aunt Alice, who was one of the first 40 women from Illinois to join the Women’s Army Auxiliary Corps (WACS) during WWII. The goddess Athena, wearing her war helmet, is etched in grey-blue on the figure’s stolid calf, and was the symbol that the WACS had emblazoned on their uniforms. These women, symbolized by this warrior-woman figure, showed the world that they could be equally both female and fierce, in defending their country.
One of the most striking sculptures in this new series represents a departure for Dodson. Her women sculptures are usually solitary. In Lakshmibai: the Rani of Jhansi, a young Bengal tiger cub is bound to his mother’s back. She stands strong, with a sword in her arm. The two aspects of the sculpture are striking, the warrior woman and the mother woman—both aspects necessary for survival.
Dodson has chosen to collaborate with animator Trina Baker, performance artist Kledia Spiro, and poet K. Melchor Hall, for their commitment to social justice. Their multi-media presentations on the walls surrounding Dodson’s central installation makes for a full immersion into a contemporary dialogue exploring the role of women. Dodson’s Amazons provide an inspiring catalyst for reflection.
—B. Amore