Derek Charleton - Follower of Leviathan

Derek Charleton

Follower of Leviathan

2021

Steel

8" x 17" x 8"

The follower is one of the two figures I was created when I was expanding upon a technique I tried with welding. I wanted to play with a sense of scale for some of my figures, so I had started creating smaller ones build onto the theme of demonic figures I was going for. This was the first smaller scale demon I made that stands alone as a separate piece. Other elements I wanted to expand upon and work into this figure was theological symbolism and biblical scripture imagery, like my heavy incorporation of eyes, the cross, and certain shapes. I had a big emphasis on the imagery in this piece, since it provides a lot of interpretive context to the figure and allows the viewer to give a story for the character represented. It also brings about the connection between the demonic figure to biblical imagery, and a cultural understanding of theology. These theological symbols that are very common through all the old testament style religions is something I find interest in exploring and emphasizing in my art.

There isn't too much about the figure itself, I wanted a demon to portray smaller and more grunt-like forces of evil in the depths of hell. The figure portrayed is under command from high up in the ranks known as Leviathan, which has known to tempt individuals in heresy and blasphemy (from Sebastien Michaelis's writings).  The upside-down cross that makes up it's head brands the figure as someone who was tempted to blasphemy and lives with that action almost like a scar, visible for others to see.