Burning Artistry Door by Shirley Marie Dees

The Burning Artistry Door (2005) is a set of French doors (36" wide by 78" high) within the gallery space of the artist’s home. It combines the gallery’s wall colors and features the artist’s miniature French poodle. (The image of the poodle is just under life-size.)
The purpose besides function of this door is to convey the artist’s philosophy of art. The text on the door is a quote by Shirley Marie Dees and reads as follows:
Like the other animals we humans must do many things to survive. But we don’t stop there. We think about how we do things – the way we do things, how they will function, and how they will look or feel to us. These thoughts are about elements of style, design, and composition. Those elements are artistic. There is some degree of art in everything that we humans do beyond just assuring our survival. It has been said that "art is the joy in our work." It is not just found in drawings, paintings, and sculpture. It is everywhere, reflecting what is human about us.