DALTON MARONEY, Associate Professor of Art at the University of Texas at Arlington, is well recognized for his boat-like wall reliefs. Maroney brings wooden sculpture to life with intricate carving and innovative contouring of each piece. Fictional rather than literal, these sculptural forms invite the viewer to respond on a level relative to his or her own experience. Feeling a close relationship to the natural environment himself, Maroney holds reverent those cultures that live as inseparable partners with nature. The expressive richness of the art of these cultures influences Maroney’s works, as certain aspects of primitive art are evident in his richly painted and patinated boat form, suggesting age and use.

Maroney’s boat-like forms are often complex skeletons of interlocking wood. The strong spines of the boats highlight their symmetry, while the simple curvature of their bodies creates a supple and sensuous volume to the form. The open interiors of many of his works seem to welcome the viewer in. Detailed carving on the surfaces of some of Maroney’s sculptures provides the wood with a rough, rich texture.

While Maroney alludes to the boat form, his work is also a mixture of sculpture, painting and drawing. Instead of the traditional rectangular painting format, he has chosen the boat format to deliver his creative information. His boat-like sculptures are primitive in nature, yet sophisticated in meaning, leaving the viewer to fill in the blanks of his abstracted creations.

Maroney has exhibitied nationally and throughout Texas and the Southwest including participation in group exhibitions at the National Museum of Art, Washington D.C.; the Alternative Museum, New York; Santa Fe Museum of Art; Connemara Sculpture Conservancy, Oklahoma Art Center and South Texas Art Institute (formerly the Museum of South Texas). Solo exhibitions include Foster Goldstrum Gallery, New York; San Antonio Art Institute; Pittsburg State University, Kansas and the Dallas Museum of Art.