His “Oh Yeah!” exhibit, which features soft sculptures of military personal and equipment, videos and audio recordings, will be on display Jan. 16 to Feb. 16 at Herron School of Art and Design, 735 W. New York St. The name is derived from old-time commercials featuring the Kool-Aid Man breaking through walls and uttering “Oh yeah!”
In the Herron exhibit, “a big, soft sculptured tank and its driver has replaced the Kool-Aid Man, while life-sized sculptures of soldiers wage war," Dacre said during a phone interview.
The subject of war has always fascinated the Denver-based artist who spent eight years in the Air Force before earning a bachelor’s degree in graphic design and a master’s of fine arts in studio art and printmaking.
"What interests me most about war is the way that we recruit for, stockpile and wage it around the globe, oftentimes in the name of freedom and liberty or some other guise.
He wants his art is to spark conversation about the realities of war and the military-industrial-entertainment complex that surrounds it. While he isn't an expert in military history, his art, along with talks he gives based on his research, provide food for thought for exhibit patrons.
"My job is to disseminate information that most people won’t get in everyday news. My art exhibit can become a platform to have a discussion about these issues," said Dacre, whose work is in the permanent collections of many museums.
"War will be a topic for me for a long time. “I'm always learning something new that I can share.”