Doc Dochtermann

All of the sculpture that I have created has one thing in common, it is all fabricated from previously manufactured elements that were intended for a particular function. The intricate design and mechanical skill that went into the making of these discarded objects would ultimately be lost forever. Whether it is an automobile fender, old brake drums or new copper tubing, I take these disparate, rejected objects and by welding and brazing, resurrect them into new forms. Fortunately, much of the original character and unique textures are left behind to add depth and complexity to the new creation. I feel that the addition of recycled objects to my creations lends a much more interesting, and sometimes surprising element that conventional working from scratch methods do not. And by using discarded metal rather than newly processed steel, it gives me a sense that I'm actually helping the environment and leaving less of a carbon footprint.  So if the color of my sculpture appears to be black or a rusty brown, it"s really GREEN!

Doc's formal art education began at Chicago's Art institute for painting and sketch classes and culminated with a BS degree in visual design from the Institute of Design at IIT. The Institute is a direct descendant of the Bauhaus in pre-war Germany and still adheres to its original curriculum. It was here that Doc created his first metal sculpture which he sold at local Art Fairs during the summers helping him pay his way through college. Besides sculpture classes, he studied graphic design under Misch Cohn and world famous photographers Harry Callahan and Aaron Siskind. After graduation and marriage, Doc and his wife Maren moved to New York City and started a career as an art director at several advertising agencies. At  J.Walter Thompson, Doc became a Senior Vice President and Creative Supervisor/TV Producer, art directing on the Kodak and Ford accounts. Along the way he won many awards for his work in advertising. Eventually he formed  his own NYC agency, Katz Dochtermann & Epstein with his son and two other partners. At the turn of the century Doc rekindled his long lost love of sculpture by taking refresher courses at the New Canaan Silvermine Guild Art Center under the tutelage of David Boyajian. From that point on, Doc began his second career attacking the medium with a renewed vitality and joy. He built a studio on his property of 5 acres in Bedford, NY where he and his wife have lived for over 35 years, raising 3 children in the process.