(SANTA ANA, CA) – Southern California photographer Dennis Doran proudly shares his distinct photographic artwork as the current Community Focus Space artist at John Wayne Airport. Inspired by the traditional ivy-covered walls found at Princeton University, Roosevelt Memorial Chapel at the University of Chicago, Oxford University, and homes and museums across Europe and the United States, Doran creates photographs digitally masking modern buildings in plants, flowers, and vegetation. Select pictures from his Cloak of Nature collection are available for viewing in the Thomas F. Riley Terminal through November 17, 2022.
The artist explains his creative vision, stating camouflage, as used by the military, hides sensitive locations such as armories and supply depots from bombardment. "Cloak of Nature was used as a peaceful medium of bringing nature into the city. I wanted to blend nature and [artificial] structures to make cities and neighborhoods more plastic and have more than paint on walls in an architectural environment."
Doran seamlessly combines colors and environmental images within this unique collection, integrating environmental surroundings into and onto the walls of businesses, public buildings, and residential properties. His artistic notion of covering walls with cloaks of images to match seasons or landscape images offers more than one view of nature. Conceptually, he can use the same structure more than once with different overlays or cloaks of nature. Changing the veil may alter how the edifice influences the appearance of a neighborhood or building in a business district or outdoor mall, affecting how an individual perceives the area.
The exhibit is on display (pre-security) on the Departure (upper) Level near security screening areas in Terminals A, B, and C and the Arrival (lower) Level adjacent to Baggage Carousels 1 and 4.
For more information about the John Wayne Airport Arts Program, visit www.ocair.com/terminal/artexhibits.